Let Me Call You Sweetheart
by Celtic Cat
Summary: Sixth in the Spike and Rose series. And Drusilla is in town. Please read and review. Complete
1. A Night on the Town

8

I do not own any of the characters from Angel or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sigh. Sniff. I'm just playing with them for a while, then I have to give them back.

Just to clarify things, this story begins during the day before the night where The Road to Hell ended.

Let Me Call You Sweetheart

A Night on the Town

"It's not the end of the world, babe," Spike said softly, stroking Rose's cheek, as they stood in the busy shopping mall while people milled around them. "Gonna have to be done sooner or later."

"But it's so pretty," Rose moaned. "He won't look like my little boy anymore."

Alaric pouted at the pretty comment, but a look from his father kept his mouth shut. For the moment.

"If Alaric's hair gets any longer," Spike stated firmly. "He's not going to look like anyone's little boy. He's not running about looking like some prancing nancy-boy." His tones softened and became indulgent again. "I'll save you a lock of his hair if you like, luv," he promised. "Now why don't we get on with things?"

Rose sighed, but managed not to sniff. If she were honest with herself, she would have to admit that her son's hair was getting a bit long and probably ought to be cut. Alaric felt at least as strongly about it as Spike did.

"Me too?" Ariel suggested. She and Alaric did almost everything together, and she didn't want to be excluded.

"No," said her parents in chorus.

"Girls are s'posed to be pretty," Alaric added. "Not boys." He tugged at Spike's jacket. "C;mon, daddy."

"Right you are, my son." Spike swung the child up in his arms, ruffled his daughter's chestnut locks and kissed Rose. "Why don't you go buy something.., special to wear tonight, pet?" he requested.

Rose just stood there for long moment, watching Spike's retreating back. Alaric waved to them over his shoulder. She sighed again. She was beginning to understand why humans rushed through their lives. Everything happened so fast. She fought back another sniffle as she realized that her babies wouldn't be babies much longer.

"C'mon, mummy." Ariel patted the hand that held hers. "Let's get you something pretty."

Rose smiled down at her daughter and allowed the little one to lead her along.

&&&&&&

Spike winced as the bleach bit into his scalp. The price of vanity. But he liked the way it looked, and Rose had never seen him any other way. He didn't really have to, he supposed, but the bleached blonde locks had become an integral part of his persona. Wouldn't know how to deal with going back to his natural shade.

"Does it hurt, daddy?" Alaric asked, looking on with interest.

"A bit." Spike smiled down at his son, but it was a forced smile. It wasn't broken bones or anything, but still, it hurt like a bitch. Kid didn't know how lucky he was being naturally blonde.

"Then why do you do it?" Alaric was still curious. "So mummy will think you're pretty?"

Spike sighed. The stuff the kid wanted answers to. Sometimes it was easier, if not always more comfortable when they just plucked it out of his mind. "Guess I'm just kind of used to it," he admitted.

"Why?"

&&&&&&

"Try it on, mummy," Ariel wheedled. "You'll see. Daddy will think you're pretty."

Rose sighed and tried to remember the last time she'd won an argument over shopping for clothing. Everyone seemed to think they knew what would suit her best. Including, now, her own daughter. Well, she supposed that it wouldn't hurt to try it on.

Rose stepped out of the dressing room a few minutes later. A spaghetti strapped top of shimmering gold satin that dipped down to reveal rather more cleavage than she was comfortable with in the front, and dipped even further in the back. The black skirt looked too narrow and form-fitting to dance in, until she moved and revealed that it was slit up the sides. Almost half-way up her thighs.

"I can't go out wearing this," Rose protested. Although she had to admit to herself that Spike probably would like it.

"Daddy will like it," Ariel said confidently. "You should buy it, mummy."

Rose took another critical look at herself in the full length mirror. That the first part of her daughter's statement was correct, she had no doubt. It was the second part of it she had problems with. Finally, she gave up. If she didn't get it now, Ariel would merely tell her father about it, and he'd get it anyway. And coax and cajole until she broke down and wore it. This way was probably easier.

&&&&&

"Your turn now, Alaric, mate," Spike said, finished with the trim and touch-up job on himself. He got up and hoisted his son into the chair. "You just be good and sit still now."

"Do I get ice cream for being good?" Alaric asked craftily.

Spike laughed. "Not today, sport," he replied. "Your mum would have fits. Especially since your Aunt Harm is babysitting tonight. I'm sure that she'll give you ice cream." Or, Spike thought, just about any kind of junk the kids desired. Which was why treating the kids to something sweet today was definitely not on.

"He speaks awfully clearly for such a little fellow," the hairdresser remarked. "And I've never seen a child sit so still for their first haircut. Usually they fidget or cry. It makes it very hard to cut their hair."

"Don't want to look like a nancy-boy," Alaric explained to her. He looked at his father. "Are you going to save my hair for mummy? You promised."

"So I did," Spike said. He'd nearly forgotten. The hairdresser grinned and handed him the next lock she snipped off, and Spike carefully tucked it away in his shirt pocket, hoping he wouldn't forget that it was there.

&&&&&&

"I said that Spike was here in Los Angeles," Drusilla crooned to the dolly in her arms. "Has mummy ever lied to you, sweetest? I know you're missing daddy. We all are. This time, we're going to get him back." She propped the dolly up on the bed that had been vacated for her in this particular den of vampires. They all tended to give her a wide berth. It didn't take anyone long to see that Drusilla had some loose wiring in the attic. But they allowed her to stay, and made room for her and her dollies.

"It's funny," Dru went on with her monologue. "I keep seeing little children. What would Spike be doing with little children?" She paced back and forth for a few moments and then picked up another doll. "Maybe when we get close to daddy, we'll understand that," she decided. She looked up at the dark subterranean ceiling, but not seeing it. "All pinks and purples and oranges," she said with satisfaction. "The sun will be down soon, my little loves. Then, we can go looking for daddy."

She stopped a minute, and held the doll to her ear, as though it were speaking to her. "You're hungry?" she asked, sounding not the least bit surprised. "Well, I guess that we'll have to find a bite to eat before we find Spike."

And then, as the other vampires pointedly looked away, Drusilla began dancing around the chamber with her doll in her arms.

&&&&&&

"And you've got the cell phone number if you need to get hold of us," Rose reminded Gunn and Harmony.

The babysitters for the night rolled their eyes. Every time, it was the same thing.

"We've done this before, Rose," Gunn reminded her. "We can handle it."

"Sure we can," Harmony piped up. "You and Spikey go and have a good time."

"And mind you." Spike had to put his two cent's worth in. "If you call, it had better be apocalypse time."

Rose was torn between kneeling to kiss the children good-night and bending over. Both prospects presented affronts to her dignity. Spike noted her quandary, correctly interpreted it and solved the dilemma for her by picking the twins up and holding them on her level.

"Thank you, darling," she murmured. She bestowed hugs and kisses on her offspring. "You two be good for your Aunt Harmony and Uncle Charles," she ordered. More hugs and kisses. "Good night, darlings."

"Good night, mummy," Alaric and Ariel said obediently enough. They loved their parents dearly, but an evening with Auntie Harm was playtime and treats with a vengeance. They were anxious to get them out the door. "Good night, daddy."

"Good night, my little luvs," Spike answered softly, dealing out more hugs and kisses. Finally, the leave taking was out of the way, and he and Rose were out the door.

"She's going to stuff them with junk food," Rose sighed as they stepped into the elevator.

"Once in a while won't kill them," Spike soothed. "Besides, Harm only babysits with them once in a.., once every three months." The whole fang gang had pretty much dropped the phrase 'once in a blue moon', after they'd actually been through one and had to deal with all kinds of consequences. "By the way, pet," he remarked. "Have I mentioned that you look absolutely smashing?"

&&&&&&

Gunn watched the exit of the parking garage. It was easy to see where it was from his vantage point up so high, but hard to identify a particular vehicle. Luckily, it wasn't like it was quitting time. There weren't too many people around the law firm at this time of night. Finally, he saw a low-slung little sports car ease its way into the traffic, then take off like a bat. Had to be Spike driving it. He went over to Harmony and handed her a dollar bill, which she made disappear. "You were right," he admitted. "They didn't take the car with the kid's seats in it."

"Of course he didn't." As far as Harmony was concerned, and in this she was right, Rose didn't really have a voice in the choice of a mode of transportation. "Spike wouldn't take that tank out on a date. Which means that we can use it to take the kids out for ice cream."

Amidst enthusiastic cheers from the twins, Gunn asked, "How are we going to drive it? I'll bet you double or nothing that Spike kept the keys in his pocket without even thinking about it."

Harmony stood there with a grin on her face and a set of car keys dangling from her finger. "All the company cars, even the ones especially assigned for the boss' use," she explained. "Have an extra set of keys." She turned towards Alaric and Ariel. "What flavor of ice cream do you want?"

&&&&&&

Angel was feeling restless. He didn't want to read. There was nothing on t.v. that appealed to him. He wasn't in the mood for any of the music in his c.d. collection. Wasn't hungry, tired or thirsty. Getting drunk held no attraction. Maybe a drive would settle him down, he decided. He headed for the parking garage. And immediately noticed that his favorite car was missing.

"Dammit, Spike," he muttered. "Just once, could you ask?" The question was obviously rhetorical, since Spike wasn't there to answer it. He should have remembered that it was Spike and Rose's night out, though. But he tended to forget when he wasn't on the babysitting roster. And evidently Spike considered the family sedan unsuitable for a night out on the town with Rose. He couldn't really blame him on that score. He just wished that one time his grandchilde would have the common courtesy to ask permission before helping himself to one of his cars.

Scratch the ride. He'd take a walk instead. Blow the cobwebs out of his head. And maybe, if he was lucky, he'd find something to fight. Kicking a little demon ass or dusting a couple of wayward vamps would probably relax him. Whistling merrily, if entirely off-key, he set off into the shadows.

&&&&&&

"I do believe that gentleman had been drinking, Henrietta," Drusilla giggled. Henrietta was the latest acquisition, and the ever-present Miss Edith, and there had been many incarnations of that one, had been naughty and was being punished by being left behind. "I do feel quite giddy." She spun around a couple of times and nearly fell over. "Woops," she said. "You see, Henrietta, what happens to people when they've been drinking. All silly and stumbling, and not knowing which end is up."

She glanced upwards, seeming to see something overhead other than street lights and stars. "The faeries say that we want to go that way." She pointed out the direction for Henrietta's benefit. "We'll find him before too long, wait and see."

&&&&&&

"I didn't think it would be so busy," Harmony apologized, looking at the lines in front of the ice cream stand. "Look, there's a table. Why don't you and the kids go grab it, and I'll go get the ice cream?"

"Are you sure, Harmony?" Gunn asked. "It's no big deal if we all wait in line together."

"If you don't hurry," she said with definite overtones of asperity. "We won't have a table. Get moving, will you?" Harmony took her place at the end of the long line.

Gunn led the kids over to the table and got them sat down just in time to receive dirty looks from two different parties, both obviously interested in staking out the table. He grinned at them apologetically, and took his place between the twins.

"Did you like mummy's new outfit?" Ariel asked. Her voice became smug, and Spike's smirk was incongruously reproduced on her little features. "I picked it out."

Alaric tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. "The girls were shopping while daddy and I were getting our hair cut," he said importantly. "The lady that cut my hair said I was very good. She gave me a lollipop." He produced the piece of candy, and his sister's face fell. "I'll share licks with you," he promised. While sibling rivalry was starting to become evident, the twins still never forgot that they'd been together for nine months before they'd been born, and twice that long since then. Alaric started tussling with the lollipop wrapper. Just as he freed the treat from its cellophane prison, it slipped out of his little hands and fell to the pavement. "Oh bugger," he muttered.

"Your mother will skin you alive if she hears you talking like that," Gunn warned. It was then that he saw the dark haired woman approach the table. Maybe she was going to ask if she could share it. But by and large that was up to the twins. They'd read a person right on the spot, and if that person didn't measure up to standards, they were out of luck.

"What lovely little children," she cooed. Gunn couldn't tell what part of the country she was from, but she was definitely English.

The twins looked at her curiously, and found it odd that they couldn't get inside her head. That alone was enough to catch their interest. But what the woman said next did even more to arouse their curiosity.

"Especially the little boy," the dark lady went on. "He reminds me of someone I used to care about. He looks just like my Spike."

A pair of ice cream cones hitting the sidewalk heralded Harmony's return. "Oh my God," she gasped. "Drusilla."

&&&&&&

"You enjoying yourself, babe?" Spike asked. He was dancing so close with Rose that it almost seemed redundant that they were wearing separate outfits. They were close enough to be sharing clothes.

"Mm-hmm," Rose mumbled, laying her head on his shoulder. She loved her children to death, but sometimes it was nice to have Spike all to herself.

"I still can't believe that you actually picked out such a sexy outfit," he murmured in her ear. "Gives me all kinds of ideas, it does."

"Ariel picked it out," Rose informed him. "Not me." She looked up at him to see what his reaction would be.

Spike had a moment's internal struggle with the fact that his baby girl had picked out her mother's sexy outfit. But he could find no resolution to it, so he changed subjects. "You smell nice too, sweetheart," he murmured. "Is that the perfume that I gave you?"

&&&&&&

Angel had been strolling around with no particular destination in mind. He just followed his nose, so to speak, wherever whimsy took him. Across the street was a busy ice cream stand. Was that Harmony over there in line? What was she doing there? Then, it hit him. Harmony and Gunn were tonight's babysitters. That meant that his godchildren would be there. He stood shuffling his feet impatiently at the corner waiting for the light to change. When at long last it did, he made his way across the street, ready to join the group. He wove through the bustling Saturday night crowds, and finally made it to the table where Gunn, Alaric and Ariel sat. And looked right into Drusilla's eyes.

"Hello, Angel," Drusilla said brightly.

"Hi, Uncle Angel," the twins greeted him. Their attention immediately turned back to Drusilla. Angel was a fixture in their lives. But this pretty lady was not only new, but unusual. They'd never met anyone who's mind they couldn't read before.

"What are you doing here, Drusilla?" Angel asked. He went around the table, so that he could be between Dru and the children. Seeing her always gave souled Angel a pang, seeing as he was the one that had driven her crazy. One more thing to atone for.

"Henrietta and I were just taking the air," Dru giggled, displaying her doll. "Do you know where Spike is?"


	2. What the Dolly Saw

14

What the Dolly Saw

Spike and Rose were taking a breather from the dancing. That is, Rose was taking a breather, and Spike was having a beer, when Rose's cell phone rang.

Spike looked disgusted. "If Harm wants to know if the kids can stay up past their bed time," he growled. "I really will kick her ass."

Rose ignored the outburst, and answered the phone. To be honest, she was a bit annoyed herself. And Harmony was the worst offender when it came to interrupting their evenings out with trivia. "Hello? Yes, Harmony." She looked at Spike and they both rolled their eyes. "Who? I see." Rose sounded calm enough, but Spike saw the blood drain away from her face, and felt a twinge of panic. Had something happened to the kids? But Rose was still talking to Harm. "He did?" A wave of relief washed over her. "No, it's all right, Harmony, you did the right thing. We'll be right there." Rose clicked the instrument shut.

"What's going on, luv?" If a person could actually die from curiosity, he'd have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. "Are the kids okay?"

Rose nodded. "They're fine," she assured him. "But something has come up." She wasn't sure how much she wanted to tell him just yet. There was the ride home to consider, and the thought of Spike driving all keyed up and tense was almost enough to make her shudder. She'd like to get there in one piece.

"Not another apocalypse?" Spike groaned.

"No," Rose answered slowly. "It's a bit more.., personal."

&&&&&&

"Harmony, Gunn, take the kids straight home," Angel ordered. He hated to spoil their fun, but better to be safe than sorry until they knew what Drusilla was up to.

Alaric and Ariel didn't protest as Gunn and Harmony each grabbed one of them. They just kept looking at Drusilla with the unblinking stare of a pair of cats.

Once the twins were well out of the way, Angel motioned for Dru to sit down. After all, he couldn't very well stake her in front of all these people.

"Why did you send the pretty babies away, Angel?" Dru pouted. "I wasn't going to hurt them. Henrietta and I just wanted to have a little chat with them."

Angel considered. Drusilla might be crazy, but she seldom lied. She really didn't need to, since it was often so difficult to glean the truth from her insane ramblings that it was better than lying. "Why did you want to talk to them?" he asked cautiously.

"That little boy looks just like Spike, doesn't he?" Drusilla asked conversationally.

"Is that why you came to L.A.?" Angel guessed. "To see Spike?"

Drusilla nodded, though whether in answer to his question, or to one of the myriad voices she heard in her head, was anybody's guess. "I know he isn't with the Slayer anymore," she murmured, half to herself. "I saw it in the stars one night. Miss Edith and I miss him. We thought that maybe since he isn't under the influence of that nasty Slayer anymore, we might have a chance of bringing him back into the family."

Angel bit his tongue to keep from blurting out that Spike already had a family, although Dru might already have figured it out. Or seen it. Just how much she saw in her psychic visions was known only to her, and she seemingly made no distinction between reality and fantasy. "Drusilla, you really don't want to be in L.A.," he advised carefully. He wasn't going to challenge her if he could just persuade her to leave. "Spike doesn't want to see you. He's over you."

"He told the Slayer that I was his salvation," Drusilla mused. "He called me a dark angel. That was very sweet of him, wasn't it?"

Angel sighed. He obviously wasn't getting through the fog of insanity that constantly veiled her. "Leave town, Dru," he said flatly. "If you don't, you're going to get hurt."

"I'll go," Drusilla agreed demurely. And all too readily. "I'll leave just as soon as I have my Spike back."

&&&&&&

Rose was glad to let the elevator do some work. Between Spike driving like he was possessed (giving him as little information as possible hadn't helped, if anything, it had made things worse), and then him pulling her along, trying to goad a human into vampire speeds, she needed a breather now far more than she had when they had taken a break from dancing.

Spike fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "You ready to clue me in on what's happening now, pet?" he inquired. "Or are you just planning on surprising me?"

Rose gave up. And her reasons for not telling him all that she knew were no longer valid anyway. "Charles and Harmony took the children out for some ice cream," she began. "And someone came up and started talking to or about the children. Harmony wasn't too coherent."

Spike cocked his head at her. So far, she had explained exactly nothing. "And?" he prompted.

"Harmony said that it was Drusilla," Rose finished. She knew about Drusilla, from before. Spike avoided mentioning his long-time love around her.

"Dru?" Spike's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hair. "What'n hell is Dru doing around my kids?"

"I'm not too sure," Rose admitted. "As I said, Harmony wasn't too coherent. But she did say that Angel showed up. He sent her and Charles home with the children and stayed there to deal with Drusilla."

Spike heaved a long-suffering sigh. First Rose, and now the kids. Why was he constantly having to owe the big pouf for saving his nearest and dearest? "Was there anything else?" he asked.

Rose shook her head. "That was all that Harmony told me on the phone," she replied. "But I thought that it was serious enough to cut our night out short."

"I'll have to agree with you on that one, luv," Spike conceded. "Just what is that crazy bint up to now?"

&&&&&&&

Angel had come at it from every direction he could think of, and still, his repeated hints and even downright orders to leave town weren't sinking in for Drusilla. He didn't really like the thought of having to stake his crazy childe, but if she became a real threat, he would. Maybe she ought to know that. "Drusilla," he said. "There's nothing but trouble for you in Los Angeles. If you don't leave, I'm going to have to dust you."

Drusilla laughed, a high-pitched, brittle sound. "Then I shall just have to make sure that you can't catch me," she replied, suddenly shifting to reality. She stood, vamped out and grabbed a passer-by, holding the hulking man as easily as she did her dolly. "Stay back, Angel," she warned. "Or I'll bite him."

Helpless to stop her lest he endanger the man's life, Angel watched in frustration as Drusilla gave herself a good head start. Then, she threw the stunned, but otherwise uninjured man aside and melted into the night.

&&&&&&

Harmony met them at the door. "Gunn is in their room, reading to them," she explained softly. "He thought I should do the talking since I'm the one who knows about Drusilla."

"The kids are okay though, aren't they?" Spike demanded. Hearing it second-hand wasn't quite good enough for him.

"They're fine," Harmony replied. "But they're confused. They said they couldn't read her mind like they do everyone else's."

Rose shot Spike a questioning glance.

"Dru's a psychic," he explained. "The kids have always had the advantage before. But Drusilla has some of the same talents that they do. And she's been using them a lot longer. Probably gives her some kind of natural immunity."

"Were they scared?" Rose asked softly. She didn't like the idea of anything scaring her children.

Harmony shook her head. "More curious than anything, I think," she answered. "They kept watching her until she was completely out of sight."

"And Captain Forehead just had to come riding to the rescue, did he?" Spike grumbled. "Did Dru say what she wanted, Harm?"

"Not while I was there," Harmony admitted. "I don't think she even noticed that I was there. First, she was looking at the kids. Then, she was talking to Angel. Gunn and I might as well not have been there."

"Did she say anything to indicate that she knows they're Spike's children?" Rose queried. The thought of Drusilla being in possession of that bit of information made her blood run cold.

"I'm not sure," Harmony confessed. "She did notice that Alaric looks like Spike, but she didn't exactly say that she knew Spike was his father."

"I do not like this," Spike grumbled, heading back for the door.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked, latching onto his arm.

"A spot of Dru hunting, babe," Spike replied, trying to disengage himself from her, and finding that he couldn't do it without hurting her. And he'd sooner stake himself than hurt her.

"Wait until Angel gets here," she pleaded. "He may have more information. Or were you planning on going over the entire city on foot?"

Spike subsided. He hadn't thought that far ahead. He'd just thought, first and foremost, of a possible threat to his family. "Oh piss," he muttered disgustedly. "What makes you so sure that the ponce is going to report in here? He's not always too keen on sharing the vital information, luv."

"He'll be here," Rose said with complete confidence. Almost as if to assure her that her faith was not misplaced, the doorbell rang. She shot Spike a triumphant look, and Spike put his hand over his eyes. Bloody git. Seemed to absolutely delight in being a pain in his ass.

&&&&&&

Drusilla made it back to the den with no company except for Henrietta. "We gave him the slip, didn't we my sweet?" she cooed to her doll. "Darling Angel must be getting quite past it. Or maybe it's just that nasty, nasty soul of his. Angelus would have caught us."

She walked around the room a few times, looking at things without really seeing them, then, flopped down on her bed and lay there, eyes wide open looking up at.., something.

&&&&&&

"She gave me the slip," Angel confessed. "She dodged in and out of crowds so many times that I lost her scent. And even if I had caught up to her..,"

"She'd have grabbed someone else and threatened to bite them," Spike finished tiredly. "Damn it all. Did she at least say why she's in town?"

"She's looking for you, Spike," Angel answered. He stopped to pat Rose on the back. She'd been taking a drink, and the news had caused it to go down the wrong way. "Sorry, Rose," he apologized. He turned back to his grandchilde. "She thinks that she can get you back now that you're not hanging around Buffy anymore."

"Are you all right, sweetheart?" Spike was momentarily distracted by Rose, red-faced from her coughing fit.

"I'm fine," Rose wheezed. In reality, she was terrified. Spike had been with Drusilla for over a hundred years. There was bound to be something there still. All her insecurities suddenly leaped to the fore.

Spike went over to her, took the drink from her hands and handed it to Angel. Then, he pulled her into his arms. "I love you, babe," he assured her. "Dru and me were over a long time ago. When are you going to get it through your pretty mop that I'm not letting anything come between us? Not now, not ever."

Rose looked up at him, gazed into his eyes, and all she saw there was love.

&&&&&&&

"We need a plan, Henrietta," Drusilla said. "We know that Angel won't help us. Pity, that would have made things ever so much easier. All we would have had to do was go waltzing in to Wolfram and Hart." She did a quick waltz step with her doll. The news of Angel's taking charge of the firm had traveled far and fast. "Just like that. But Angel is being mean. He wants us to go away. We're not though, we're going to stay right here until we get our Spike back." She turned at a sound, two of the den's other occupants had arrived.

"Do you know Spike too?" Den asked. He looked to his friend. "Man, he sure does pick the pretty ones, doesn't he?"

"He sure does," Val agreed. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you think this means he's not dating the human chick now?"

"Spike's with a human?" Dru had started paying attention to them now. She stood and stared at the two of them, waiting for an answer.

The pair shrugged in almost perfect unison. "We don't know," Den admitted. "He was a couple of years ago, though."

"But we haven't seen him since," Val added. "It was just that one time."

"Do you know where he lives?" This might be the lucky break she needed, Dru thought.

"Sure," Den said eagerly. "At least, where he was living then. He might have moved."

"Then we'll just have to find out, won't we?" she purred. "I don't believe that we've been properly introduced. I'm Drusilla."

"I'm Val," Val replied. "And this is Den."

"And this is Henrietta." Drusilla finished off the introductions.

&&&&&&&

"You do believe me, don't you, babe?" Spike rolled over, his arms wrapped around Rose so that he pulled her on top of him. "There is no one but you, and never will be. I love you."

"I love you, darling," Rose whispered, stroking his face. "So very much. And it's not you that I'm doubting. It's me."

Spike sighed. "We're not going to go through that you're not real thing again, are we?" he asked. "I'd say that any woman who can bear children is real enough." He turned his head to kiss the hand that caressed him. "Not to mention the things you do to me. I'd hate to think I was doing this all myself." He gave her a lecherous grin.

Rose rolled off of him, and lay there with her back to him. "You were with her over a hundred years," she pointed out quietly. "And you were very much in love with her. I don't think it's something you can just turn off."

Spike turned on his side, snagged her with an arm and spooned her up against him. "Yes, I did love Dru," he admitted. "And she whored around and treated me like dirt. I suffered from it, but in time, I got over it. And seeing as how I've got a soul now, an evil Drusilla just don't do it for me." He buried his face in her hair, just reveling in her scent. "I didn't turn it off, it turned itself off, eventually." He snuggled in closer to her, so that she could feel the effect she had on him. "Why don't we stop talking about turning things off? I'm more interested in how much you turn me on."


	3. A Quiet Sunday?

16

A Quiet Sunday?

Small hands, tugging at the bedclothes, disturbing him, waking him up. Spike didn't feel like waking up, and was about to say so, forcefully, when he came to the surface enough to realize what was going on. He rolled over carefully, so as not to disturb the sheets and lose all dignity. "Good morning, kids," he remarked. He looked at the time. They were up awfully damn early for a weekend. "What's got you up and about at this hour?"

"Uncle Angel is at the door," Alaric said. He was pouting again. Probably because he and his sister had to depend on someone else to answer the door. The locks were way too high for them to reach.

"He's very upset about the lady we saw last night," Ariel added. When Spike immediately latched on to the reference, she had a name to put to the face. "Drusilla."

Spike fell back on the pillows with a groan. He gave Rose a nudge. "Wake up, sweetheart," he said. "Ain't even eight o'clock in the morning and it's hitting the fan already."

"Mmph?" Rose snuggled back into the pillows without even waking up.

Spike sighed, then turned to the twins. "Why don't you two go wait in the other room while I get your mum up and decent?" he suggested. "You can tell the po.., Angel that we'll be out in a few minutes."

The twins trotted off immediately, with the look of concentration on their faces that said they were in a telepathic conversation. Probably with the pouf.

"Rose, luv." Spike started tugging the covers off her. "We've got company, pet. Time to rise and shine."

&&&&&&

As soon as Spike opened the door, Angel thrust the morning paper into his hands. "Read that," he ordered. "Where's Rose?"

"She'll be out in a minute," Spike replied. "You woke us up, you big dumb git. Wouldn't have even noticed it, but the kids got us up." He started perusing the front page. Which story Angel wanted him to read wasn't hard to pick out. Murder tended to get a person's attention, and they'd all become rather adept at picking up on the hints and allusions that were used when the death was attributable to a vampire. "What makes you think this was Dru's work?" he asked. "I'm assuming that you do think it was Dru."

"Look at the address where the bodies were found," Angel directed. He'd already made himself at home, taking a seat, with a child on each knee. "Recognize it?"

Spike scanned the article for the pertinent details. "Bleeding, suffering hell," he swore. "It's our old digs."

"Darling, please watch your language in front of the children." Rose emerged from the bedroom, still a little rumpled and heavy-eyed from sleep. "Our what?"

"Our flat," Spike answered. "The one those tongueless twits trashed trying to get you as a gift for dog-boy."

"What happened there that's so important?" Rose asked.

"The people that were living there were killed last night," Angel filled in quietly. "It looks like Drusilla is trying to track Spike down."

Spike was re-reading the article. "Much as I hate to admit that you're right," he said grudgingly. "It does have the earmarks of Dru's style. Always did like playing with her food, like you." He saw that he was getting a pained look from Rose. "Sorry, pet."

"I'm not sure that murder is a suitable topic to be discussing in front of the children," Rose sighed. She gathered up the twins. "If you two want to go on talking about it, fine. I'll be giving the children their breakfast."

Spike and Angel looked at each other. "Why does she do that?" Angel asked. "It's not like you can keep secrets from them. They'll just read it in your mind anyway."

Spike shrugged. "I dunno," he admitted. "Sometimes I think she likes to maintain the illusion that we're a normal little family. Whatever the hell normal is."

&&&&&&&

"Well, that was a bust," Den remarked, as they just beat the rays of the rising sun to the lair.

"Not completely," Val protested. "We did get a meal out of it."

Drusilla was looking pensive, her head cocked as if listening to someone or something that no one else could hear. Which quite possibly was the case. "Spike is hiding from me," she murmured. "But we'll find him, won't we, Henrietta?" She turned to her two companions. "Tell me about Spike's little human playmate," she demanded.

"Well," Val floundered, thrown by the change of topic. "She's about so high." He held his hand up off the ground to indicate it. "She has kind of reddish-brown hair and gray eyes. Very pretty."

Dru pouted in thought. Except for the height, the description could have matched the little girl she had seen. The one that had been with the pretty blonde boy that looked like Spike. Even her dysfunctional brain could make that connection. "I wonder how they managed it," she mused aloud.

"Managed what?" Den asked. Drusilla's fits and starts were making him uncomfortable.

"The other night I saw two pretty little babies," Drusilla replied. "The little boy looked like Spike. And the little girl looked like the girlfriend."

Val saw where she was going with this. "That can't be right," he protested. "Vampires can't have kids."

"Sometimes they can," Drusilla said mysteriously. "But it takes something or someone very powerful to make it happen." But her head suddenly filled with visions of her and Spike together with those two children. "It would be nice to have some little children," she remarked. "Maybe I ought to have Spike bring them with us." She looked down at her doll. "Wouldn't you like to have some little playmates, Henrietta?"

&&&&&&

The silence had hung heavy for some minutes now. But Spike was starting to feel a bit peckish, and if he didn't mind his manners, he'd hear about it. "You want a cuppa?" he asked, rising from his seat.

"I wouldn't mind," Angel replied. "I left mine half-drunk, sitting on the kitchen table. That story kind of rattled me."

When Angel made no move, Spike said, "You coming or not? I'm not a bloody waiter."

Angel followed.

In the kitchen, chaos reigned. An untouched cup of coffee sat on the countertop while Rose, on her knees was wiping spilled milk up off the floor. As the two men entered, they saw Alaric launch a spoonful of cereal at his sister. He lacked aim and velocity, so it pretty much just followed the dictates of gravity. Straight down. On Rose.

"What in the bl..,ue blazes is going on here?" Spike asked irritably. Further inspection showed milk and cereal on the table, counter, and even a lucky shot that had made it to the wall. Not to mention all over the twins.

"I just turned my back on them for a few seconds," Rose replied tiredly. "Just long enough to pour myself some coffee, and when I turned around..," Despite the fact that the adults were on to them, the children had continued their game, and this time, Ariel's missile hit Rose's shoulder and sent a soaking trail down her blouse. "Who told them about food fights?"

Angel fought back a grin. He supposed that if he were in Rose's shoes, not that she was wearing any, it wouldn't seem particularly funny. But he ingrained the picture firmly in his mind, intending to do a drawing of it at a later time. "Stop that," he scolded gently. He took Ariel's spoon away from her.

Spike followed suit, confiscating Alaric's spoon.

"Hey," the little boy protested. "We're not babies. We can feed ourselves."

"You've got food all over the kitchen, and your mum," Spike snapped. He shoved a spoonful of cereal into his son's mouth before the child could talk back. "If this happens again, there's going to be a pair of backsides getting smacked."

The twins exchanged alarmed looks. They'd obviously crossed that mysterious, invisible line this time. Until now, punishments had usually consisted of loss of privileges or early nap times. They had yet to have a spanking, and decided that they didn't want to find out about it.

"We're sorry," Ariel mumbled. She looked up appealingly at her doting uncle, hoping that someone besides her brother was still on her side.

"I think it's your mother you should be apologizing to," Angel commented. "You made a pretty big mess for her to clean up."

"Not to mention the pair of you and herself," Spike added. Then, he realized that there was someone else who ought to be sharing the burden, and it certainly wasn't the ponce. He looked at Rose. "Why don't you run along a get yourself a shower, luv?" he suggested. "Then you can look out some clean clothes for these two while I give the little demons a bath."

Rose gave him a warm smile, and an even warmer kiss in passing. "Thank you, love, I believe I'll take you up on that," she said.

Angel watched her leave the room. "How did you guys get cereal in her hair?"

&&&&&&

Drusilla had been listening to the voices again. They didn't set her wrong very often. "There she is." She pointed for Val and Den's edification. "She was the one that was with the babies. She'll know where to find them. If we find them, we'll find Spike."

"And we're just going to go up and ask her and she'll tell us?" Val was skeptical.

Den smacked him on the back of the head. "Don't be such a dumbass," he said. "We'll take her to a dark alley, scare the information out of her and then have a snack."

"She's one of us," Drusilla informed him. "Can't you tell?" She giggled. Of course, she had resources not available to her two new friends.

"Then how are we going to get her to talk?" Val demanded. "She's not going to be afraid of vampires when she is one."

Drusilla, standing between them, reached up and put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Surely two charming gentleman like you could think of a way to get a lady to tell you what you want to know." She smiled up at them sweetly, batting her eyes at them to help it sink in.

"Are you going to come with us?" Den inquired. He knew Drusilla was crazy, it was pretty obvious. But they weren't too comfortable about going on even such a simple quest for information without someone along to do the thinking, and Drusilla was easily the brightest of the three of them.

Dru shook her head. "She knows me," she replied. "She wouldn't talk in front of me. And she wouldn't talk to you if she knew we were friends."

"We.., er.., just sweet talk her," Val muttered. He'd never been too good at it as a human, and hadn't really felt the need to since he'd been turned.

"That's right," Drusilla cooed approvingly. "You go make nice with her. Make her your friend. Sooner or later she'll tell you about the children."

"This is going to take a while, isn't it?" Den asked miserably. Patience wasn't a virtue of his. In fact, he pretty much didn't have any virtues.

"Good things come to those who wait," Drusilla said in wheedling tones. "It shouldn't take too long, though. I think that one likes to talk. She'll tell you everything."

&&&&&&&

Harmony was walking along, just window-shopping for the most part. She'd had to pay her rent this week, and since budgeting was foreign territory to her, she was pretty much broke until payday rolled around again. Still, it didn't hurt to look. And what else was she going to do when both of her galpals were hooked up with someone and there wasn't a boyfriend in sight?

And then, suddenly, she wasn't alone.

"Hi there." Den gave her his best smile. "I'm Den, and this is my friend Val, and we were just wondering what a pretty girl like you was doing all by herself."

"And we were thinking that maybe you might like a little company," Val added.

Harmony gave them a critical once over. Definitely a minus on the fashion end of things. But score right off the board for the fact that they were male, and they were showing an interest. "I'd love some company," she said, smiling back at them. In high school, she thought, she wouldn't have given either of them the time of day. "My name's Harmony."

"That's a pretty name," Den commented.

Val knew they were supposed to be getting information from her, but he was hungry, too. "Why don't we find someone to eat first?" he suggested.

Harmony gave them a second look and realized that there were no signs of respiration. Not just male but vampires as well. Something was definitely going right for a change. "I don't feed off of humans anymore," she replied. "Company rules where I work. But I have plenty of blood in the fridge at home."

Den and Val exchanged glances. They'd just met her and she was inviting them to her place? They would have to remember this for future reference. If a vampire was this easy with a little small talk, it might work on human women too.

&&&&&&

Angel looked at his drawing with satisfaction. It was, he thought, one of his better efforts. There was Rose, on her hands and knees, cleaning. And Alaric throwing cereal. He'd pretty much gotten it all, even the pissed off expression on Spike's face. He had considered giving it to Rose and Spike, but he wasn't overly sure that they'd appreciate it. Maybe he'd just hang it on his wall.

&&&&&&

Spike was massaging Rose's feet. He decided she merited a little pampering. The kids had been rowdy all day, and she'd taken the brunt of it.

"Mmm," Rose murmured. "You haven't done that since I was pregnant."

"Thought you deserved something after what the kids put you through today," Spike remarked from the end of the bed where he sat with her feet on his lap. He lifted one up and kissed the instep.

Rose giggled. "That tickles."

Spike grinned at her. "Maybe I'll just work my way up and see what else I can tickle," he said softly. "Or maybe I'll just see what else I can rub the right way."


	4. Simple Math

22

Simple Math

Spike was having a quiet talk with Oz while Rose was finishing up getting the twins dressed.

"Don't see any reason why you shouldn't take the kids out and about if you want to," he admitted. "But I just thought what with Dru being in town and all, you ought to know."

Oz nodded. "Since I'm only here during the daytime, it shouldn't make any difference," he replied. "But I think that I'll be careful about going out at night."

"Good plan," Spike agreed. "Wouldn't like the idea of Dru taking a fancy to you. Good help is hard to find."

"Especially someone who can deal with your kids," Oz remarked. Rose and the twins emerged from the other room, and the children rushed him.

"Did you have a fun weekend, Oz?" "Are you going to play your guitar for us?" "Are you going to teach us some new songs today?" "Can we go to the park?"

"One question at a time," Oz said. "I can't keep track when you talk so fast."

"Oh, one more thing, Oz," Spike added. "No candy in any way, shape or form." He gave his offspring a severe look. "They're being punished."

The twins stared up at Oz, eyes wide, faces absolutely radiating innocence.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the new picture I saw on Angel's wall when I dropped by his place last night, would it?" Oz asked. "It looked like a food fight to me."

"He drew a picture of that mess?" Rose looked aghast. "And then he went and hung it up where everyone could see?" She turned to Spike. "Do you think you could..,"

"No, luv," Spike said gently. "If the silly nit wants to decorate his walls with pictures of the kids raising hell, there's not much to be done about it. Leastways he had enough sense not to try to give it to you." A smile tugged at his lips as he thought of Rose's reaction to such an occurrence.

"I almost wish he had," Rose muttered. "Then I could have burned it."

"That's probably why he didn't give it to you," Oz remarked. He checked the time. "Hey, aren't you guys going to be late for work?"

&&&&&

"C'mon, you've got to admit it was kind of funny." Angel was heading towards the cells with Spike in tow.

"Try saying that to Rose and see what kind of reaction you'll get," Spike urged. "But make sure you do it when I'm around. I'd like to see her try to lay one on you. Stupid git."

They reached the cells, where Ethan sat, despondent and anxious, wondering what was going to happen to him.

"I don't know." Angel was still talking to Spike as if no one else was there. "Giles has been calling every day just to find out if we'll let him have our guest here."

Spike shrugged. "Don't always get what we want," he commented. "The way of the world. Myself, I always tend to go for the easy fix."

"And what would your idea of an easy fix be?" Angel asked.

"Don't take much to snap his neck," Spike answered. "Quick, clean, and guaranteed that he won't be up to any more of his nasty little games."

Ethan started to sweat. Didn't having souls meant that they were supposed to be good now? And in his experience, the good ones didn't kill you when they already had you locked safely away. But they sounded serious enough. Going back to England to face an angry Giles didn't much appeal either. Although the trip could afford him the opportunity to escape. And most decidedly a better bet than having his neck snapped.

"Still, you have to wonder what kind of judgment the Watchers would hand down," Angel said conversationally. "Do you think it would be something as quick and relatively painless as a broken neck?"

Spike shook his head. "With old Rupes egging them on?" he hooted. "Not bleeding likely. Maybe a practice dummy for all the little Slayers to train on." He considered. "Then again, with Giles taking it all so personal, he might want to deal with it himself."

"The morning phone calls are starting to get a little irate," Angel conceded. "So I guess I'm going to have to come to some sort of a decision soon." He looked at the prisoner, seeing the little beads of sweat pop out on his brow. Not that he needed to look. He could smell the fear on him. "But not today." He turned and started to walk away. "You coming, Spike?"

"In a bit," Spike replied. "I just wanted to drop a little word in this nit's ear before I leave." He turned to Ethan. "You are one bloody lucky sod that you didn't lay a hand on my kids," he said darkly. "Or you wouldn't be alive and well to hear this. Just a friendly warning in case some idiot lets you slip away again." Then he too, turned and left.

&&&&&&&

Rose was coming to the conclusion that she was going to be having lunch alone today. Usually, Fred joined her. Unless there was something critical going on in R&D. Or she got really busy and forgot the time. Okay, so it happened often as not. She was therefore in no way prepared when Harmony bounced into the seat where Fred customarily sat.

"Hello, Harmony," she greeted the newcomer. "I don't often see you here."

"I just had to tell someone my news." Harmony was positively bubbling over. "And the boss tends to get cranky about me 'socializing during working hours'."

Rose got a knowing smile on her face. "You've got a boyfriend?" she guessed.

"Would you believe two of them?" Harmony sounded surprised herself. "I was out window shopping last night, and they just came up and started talking to me. And they're vampires, too. No awkward explanations needed."

"Well, that certainly sounds fortuitous," Rose agreed. She could see that Harm was about to burst at the seams. "So, tell me all about them."

"It was just so neat having guys that were really interested in me," Harmony said. "Not just how I look, or anything, but they wanted to know every little thing about me. By the way, they said that they know you."

"Know me?" Rose was puzzled. "I don't recall knowing any vampires that don't work he.., Oh, wait a minute. Is it Val and Den?"

Harmony nodded. "Yeah, they are like totally in awe of Spike." She giggled. "They still think he's the Big Bad or something."

"You didn't enlighten them by any chance, did you?" Rose didn't think Spike's threats were needed for her protection anymore, but, you never knew. And while she was quite fond of Harmony, she knew that the littlest vampire just couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"I thought I ought to ask you or Spikey about it first," Harmony replied. She gave Rose an appealing look. "I did the right thing, didn't I?"

"Yes you did, dear," Rose said. "Exactly the right thing. Spike doesn't go to any lengths to destroy the myths around him simply because it can be useful. In Val and Den's case, he wanted to make sure that they passed the word that he'd dust anyone that tried to hurt me."

"I won't tell," Harmony promised. "But those guys were really full of questions. They wanted to know about you and Spike and the kids as much as they wanted to know about me."

"I wonder why that was," Rose wondered aloud. She looked at the time and realized that her lunch hour was up. "I have to get back to work now, Harmony," she said. "But I'm glad to know that you've found someone. Let me know how things go."

"Well duh," Harmony answered. "You're one of my galpals, it's kind of like, mandatory."

&&&&&

In the safe, dark corners of the lair, the three conspirators were talking.

"Man, once we got that chick talking, we couldn't shut her up," Val remarked. "Just tell her she's pretty, ask a couple of questions and she tells you her life story."

"Did she tell you where Spike is, then?" Drusilla asked.

Den nodded. "He's living in one of the penthouse suites at Wolfram and Hart." He looked impressed. "Him, the girl and the two kids. And according to Harmony, they are his kids."

"I knew they had to be," Drusilla murmured. "Such pretty little ones. They bring out the maternal in me." She sighed. "I can't believe that he's working for Angel. Whatever happened to my darling Spike that he would work in that place?"

"Maybe he's kind of like, you know, undercover," Val offered. "You know, waiting for the right moment to strike, then, bam! all hell breaks loose."

"He's been undercover for almost three years now," Den pointed out. "How long would it take for him to shake things up? Something's not right here."

"No, it isn't," Dru agreed. "But we'll get it all sorted out. First though, we have to figure a way to get rid of the girlfriend."

"Her name is Rose," Val informed her.

"If she ever went out alone, we could make a quick snack of her," Den put in. "Always did think she looked kind of tasty."

Val smacked him. "And have Spike coming after your ass?" he snarled. "Are you really that stupid, or did you have to study for it?"

"Killing her would just upset him," Drusilla mused. "We don't want her dead. I'll have to think of a way to break up their happy little family. But what would it take for Spike to leave her?"

"When I was human," Val said slowly. "I was with this girl. Man, I thought she was it, that it would be the two of us forever. Until I found out that she was screwing someone else."

"Yeah," Den said. "If you could find a way for him to catch Rose cheating on him, I bet he'd boot her out in a hot second."

Drusilla beamed at them. "What a wonderful idea," she enthused. "Spike doesn't like to have any competition." She looked at her dolly. "Tell me, Henrietta, have you heard of any witches around here? I think this calls for a good love spell."

&&&&&&

"I don't care how many Slayers Giles sends as guards," Spike said during his daily workout with Angel. "Ethan Rayne is a slippery bastard. He'll find a way to escape. He got away from the Initiative gits now, didn't he?"

"I'd kind of like to stay on speaking terms with Giles though," Angel replied. "If I don't turn Ethan over to him, it's going to put a strain on things again."

Spike shrugged. "Piss on him. His problem, not yours." He dodged an attack and countered it. "I've got a news flash for you, Peaches. No matter how hard you try, not everyone is going to like you. Deal with it."

"You're still mad about the picture, aren't you?" Angel sidestepped a blow that missed him by mere millimeters. "The kids have acted up before, and they will again. It's part of being a kid. Why are you so bent out of shape this time?"

Spike paused to think a moment, and it almost got him taken down. "Because it was so damn deliberate this time," he burst out. "Mostly, it is just kids being kids. But they're not ordinary kids. And doing that to Rose..,"

"So that's why," Angel remarked. "You're pissed because they threw their breakfast on Rose. News flash for you, junior, she's not going to die from it."

"It was bloody disrespectful to their mum," Spike snapped. "And believe it or not, that is one line they have never crossed before."

"You didn't actually spank them, did you?" Angel could see the whole picture now, but he still didn't believe that his godchildren merited that severe a punishment.

"Not this time," Spike replied. "But they aren't allowed any candy for a couple of weeks. And if I catch you giving them any, I will kick your fat, poncey ass until it's nothing but a bad memory."

"You wish." Angel took advantage of Spike's preoccupation and laid him out on the floor. "That's my round, I believe."

Spike gave him a disgusted look and flipped him the bird.

&&&&&&

Drusilla had all her dollies set in a neat little row on her bed. "My, don't you all look so pretty," she cooed. "And soon you'll have some new little friends to play with." She stopped and listened to the voices that only she heard for a moment. "But first, we need that love spell. Tonight, my little lovelies, we're going witch-hunting."

Val and Den watched from what they considered to be a safe distance.

"That chick is crazy," Den stated flatly. "How long are we going to play along with her?"

"She may be crazy," Val conceded. "But she knows stuff. Stuff that could be useful later. I think we'll hang in there for a while. Besides, it's not like we really have anything else to do. Scaring up a meal doesn't usually take up too much of the night."

"She's creeping me out, man," Den replied. "I don't know what's worse, her talking to those damn dolls, or listening to someone that isn't there."

"Think we ought to keep that date we made with Harmony tonight?" Val asked. "Who knows, if we could get her to shut up long enough, we might even see a little action."

Den shrugged. "I suppose it depends on whether or not that loony bitch has any more little chores for us tonight," he answered. "Unless you want to blow her off. I mean, we've got lives too, sorta."

Val shook his head. "If Drusilla wants us to help her out tonight, we will." He sighed. "I just hope we find some time to see Harmony. I think she'd be kind of pissed if we stood her up."

"Think she'd be up for a threesome?" Den suggested.

Val looked disgusted. "If there is one thing I do not want to see," he growled. "It is you, naked. Just the thought is about enough to make me blow chunks." He got a calculating look on his face. "Take turns, or flip you for her?"

It was Den's turn to look thoughtful, and the strain on his mental capacities was evident in his expression. "Shouldn't the lady be making the choice?" he inquired. "Not that Harmony is much of a lady."

"If she was, would you be interested?" Val shot back. "Okay, we let her decide. But if she picks me, you get the hell gone."

"Same goes for you," Den shot back. "Shake on it?"

&&&&&&

"Anything new and interesting happen at work today, babe?" Spike asked as he met Rose at the elevator to their apartment.

"Not actually at work," Rose replied. "But I was talking to Harmony at lunch. It seems that she's gotten herself a couple of admirers."

"Good for Harm," Spike remarked. "Anyone we know?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Rose pushed the button for their penthouse. "Do you remember Val and Den?" When she saw that the names weren't ringing a bell with him from the expression on his face, she elaborated. "The two vampires who walked me home when I got stranded with Aubrey that night you were at the bachelor party."

"Oh, them." Spike remembered. He also remembered the cold chill he'd gotten when he'd seen Rose flanked by a couple of strange vamps. "They're who Harm is seeing?"

"She's quite taken with them," Rose said. "I guess they were quite charming with her. They asked her all sorts of questions about herself. Even about us, since they've met us."

Spike stood there chewing his lip while he digested the information. "Just how much did Harm tell them about us?" he queried.

"I'm not sure," Rose admitted. "Just general stuff, I think, about the children, and where we live. I don't think there was..," She broke off when she saw him hit the stop button. "What's the matter, darling?"

"I just put two and two together," Spike answered. "And I don't much like how it's coming out. I think we need to talk to my poncey grandsire."


	5. Witch Hunt

27

Witch Hunt

After their initial greeting, Oz had had a relatively quiet day of it with the twins. But there was so much body language going on, he could almost hear the silent communication.

Finally, he just decided to ask. "What's up with you two?"

"We don't like it," Ariel announced, pouting.

"Don't like what?" Oz asked. "I can hear pretty good, but not good enough to hear what you're thinking about."

"Drusilla," Alaric said, his face like a thundercloud.

"I'm sure everything will be all right," Oz soothed. "Your parents aren't going to let anything happen to you."

"It's not that," Ariel said a bit scornfully. "We're not scared of her."

"But daddy belongs with mummy." Alaric stated it as though it were a law of nature.

A shaft of light penetrated the gloom of Oz' confusion. "You're upset because she used to be your dad's girlfriend?" Oz asked. "But that was years ago. He hadn't even met your mother yet."

The twins exchanged glances. "Don't care," Alaric muttered. "He shouldn't have been with her. Just mummy."

Oz could see he was up against a brick wall, but he decided to give it one more shot. "If it weren't for Drusilla, your dad wouldn't be a vampire," he pointed out. "He would have died a long time ago. You wouldn't have been born."

"He didn't have to be her boyfriend," Ariel grumbled. "He should have waited for mummy."

Oz sighed, and gave up.

&&&&&&

"Can you tell me why we have to tell Angel about Harmony's admirers?" Rose asked, as Spike practically dragged her along the halls. "And why do we both have to go? One of us at least should be getting home. Oz will wonder what has happened to us."

"We'll call him from the pouf's office," Spike replied. "Listen, luv, I could be barking up the wrong tree, but I have a feeling that a dateless Harm suddenly getting so popular just when Dru hits town is too much to be a coincidence."

"Oh really," Rose scoffed. "Harmony's a pretty girl. Why wouldn't Val and Den be interested in her?"

"Let's just cover the bases, shall we, pet?" Spike didn't even break stride. "If it turns out to be nothing, I shall apologize profusely. But if I'm right, best we find out."

&&&&&&

"Um.., say, Drusilla." Val was feeling exceptionally uncomfortable. "Do you need us for anything tonight? Because we kind of made a date with Harmony."

Dru made him even more uncomfortable when she held a whispered conversation with her doll. What really freaked him out was that he could swear that he could hear the doll's whispered responses to Drusilla's end of the conversation.

"Henrietta says that we can find a witch on our own," Drusilla said at long last. "Would you like the witch to cast a love spell for you too?"

Den shuffled his feet. "I.., uh.., think we'll take our chances," he mumbled. "Thanks anyway."

"Have it your way." Drusilla dismissed them with a wave of her hand. She started listening again. "You might ask your little friend if you can find employment there. It might be a good thing if one of you could be there to watch Spike."

"Work?" Val was stunned. What was the good of being a vampire, taking what you wanted, if you were going to have to work anyway?

"Just for a little while." Dru reached up and petted his face. "Just until I have my Spike back."

&&&&&&

Rose hung up the phone. "Oz doesn't mind staying a little while longer," she said. "But I still think that you're getting obsessive about the whole Drusilla situation."

"You don't know her like we do, babe," Spike replied. "That loopy bint is capable of damn near anything. Including sending your vamp buddies to pump Harm for information about us."

"Much as I hate to say it," Angel put in. "Spike could be right. So why don't you just humor us on this one, Rose? Please?"

"I hope you're wrong," Rose said with a sigh. "First Lorne, now Harmony. Can't anyone find someone that likes them for themselves?"

Spike couldn't let that one pass. He came up behind Rose and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't like me for myself, sweetheart?" he teased. "It must be my hot bod, then."

Angel rolled his eyes, while Rose blushed redder than her namesake.

"Can we stick to the subject, Spike?" he requested. "You came up with all the theories, do you have any plan for testing them out?"

"Plant a bug on Harm?" Spike suggested. "Find out what they're talking about?"

"If Harmony has already told them all they need to know," Angel pointed out. "They may not even show up again. And even if they do, I doubt that we'll find anything out." He paused in reflection for a moment. "What would be more useful would be if we could bug them."

"You'd need Harmony's cooperation for that," Rose remarked. "And seeing that you don't have anything stronger than a hunch to go on, I don't think she'd go along with it. She'd feel like you were just picking on her, and I couldn't swear that she wouldn't be right."

"What's more important?" Spike queried. "Harm's dignity or our kids? When I think about what happened to every pet that delusional female ever had, I hate to think what could happen to our babes if she got her hands on them."

"But she's looking for you, love," Rose reminded him. "As far as we know, that's the extent of her interest. Why would she want our children?"

"Dru always had a thing about kids," Spike confessed. "And I'm not going to feel comfortable until she's out of town or dust."

&&&&&&&

Drusilla set out as soon as the sun had set. She took her time, wandering this way and that, and occasionally holding Henrietta up to her ear as though she was getting directions from her. After a couple of hours, she stopped in front of a tiny little store-front. Dingy and drab and neglected. The sign proclaimed that it was the establishment of a fortune teller. But Dru was sure that Henrietta wouldn't lead her astray. She went in.

The fortune teller was dressed in stereotypical gypsy garb, and was sitting bent over a crystal ball. Upon Drusilla's entrance she looked up. And made a sign against the evil eye, then crossed herself as well.

Dru's merry, tinkling laugh rang throughout the shop. "We aren't going to hurt you," she promised. "We need you to do something for us. We need a love spell."

The 'gypsy' licked her lips nervously. "I only tell fortunes," she mumbled. "I don't cast spells."

"Shame, shame," Drusilla chided. "Henrietta here says that you're a witch. And I need a love spell. Are you sure you aren't a witch? Because if I can't get what I need from you, I guess I shall just have to bite you instead."

"Do you want the spell for yourself?" The shop's proprietor did an about face. She rummaged around on a shelf behind her and pulled out a vial. "This one is very effective."

"It's not for me," Drusilla replied. "Besides, we want a real spell. Not a little bottle of colored water. If you don't start behaving, Henrietta is going to become quite cross with you."

The fortune teller's face drained of color. "I'll need the locations of the people you want the spell cast on," she said. "If you could come across something personal of theirs, it would make the spell work even better."

"I don't, yet," Dru murmured. "But I think I can get what you need. Just make sure that you have what I need." She headed for the door, then turned for one last remark. "I don't believe I need to tell you that you really should be here when I come back tomorrow night, do I? Henrietta and I would be most put out if we had to come looking for you."

&&&&&&

"That was a waste of time," Rose grumbled. "Why are you so paranoid all of a sudden? It isn't like you, darling."

"Let's just say that I know Dru as well as anybody can," Spike replied. "I don't like the thought of her being anywhere near you or the kids. Especially if she's got her mind set on getting me back." He turned to Rose, and took her hands in his, a little awkwardly, since one hand was holding her briefcase. "Promise me that you won't go out alone, babe," he said softly. "Dru's crazy, she's not stupid. She'd see you as an obstacle to be removed."

"I don't generally go out alone anyway," Rose mumbled. "You all have me wrapped in cotton wool. But if Drusilla killed me..,"

"Then our kids would be orphans," Spike finished. "I wouldn't mind going, but we have important things to do yet, luv. And they're up in that apartment waiting for their dinner right now."

&&&&&&&

"We're not going out anywhere?" Harmony was starting to pout. "What kind of date is this, anyway?"

"Sorry, Harmony," Val apologized. "But there's not a whole lot we can do. No bread."

"Do you think there's anything one of us could do at that place where you work?" Den put in. "Then, we'd have money to take you places."

Harmony brightened. "I could ask," she replied. So, they weren't what she'd visualized for herself back in high school. But then, she'd never counted on being a vampire, either. She turned to her DVD collection, and started reading off titles. "'Steel Magnolias', 'Thelma and Louise', 'Fatal Attraction'." She turned to her companions. "What sounds good to you?"

Den and Val looked at each other helplessly. Spending the evening watching chick flicks with Harmony wasn't on their list of how to have a good time. "Why don't you choose, Harmony?" Val suggested diplomatically.

Harmony giggled. "Okay. I have to admit that this one is my favorite." She put 'The Little Mermaid' in the DVD player.

&&&&&&

"Mummy!" The twins rushed Rose the minute she and Spike entered the apartment, and Rose knelt down on the floor for kisses and cuddles.

"Smooth sailing today, Oz?" Spike inquired.

"For me, yes," Oz replied. "But I think you may be in for it tonight."

"Oh crap," Spike muttered. "What now? Are they narked because I took away their candy privileges?"

"They haven't really mentioned that," Oz remarked. "But they have got a bee in their bonnets about the fact that you've had girlfriends before Rose."

Spike looked like someone had hit him right between the eyes. "Tell me you're joking, Oz," he pleaded weakly. "Lie if you have to."

"Sorry." Oz couldn't quite hold back a grin at Spike's discomfiture. "For what it's worth, I did go to bat for you on the subject. But they weren't listening. They're good at only hearing what they want to hear. I wonder where they get that from?"

"Fat lot of good you are," Spike growled. "Buggering hell." The last of Oz' comments sank in. "Was that a shot, wolf-boy?"

"See you tomorrow, Spike." Oz moseyed towards the door. "Try to remember that they're just kids." He did a vanishing act.

Spike went to detach Rose from the group hug. "Can you two play quiet for a minute?" he asked his offspring. "I need a quick word with your mum."

"But we're hungry," Alaric whined.

"Tea time was hours and hours ago," Ariel added, also in a whiny voice.

"We'll starve to death," Alaric warned.

"For goodness' sake, darling," Rose chided gently. "Surely whatever it is can wait until I get the children some dinner, can't it?"

Spike saw two little pairs of eyes fasten on him and got that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, again. Why did he always get the third degree from his kids? To the best of his knowledge, they'd never gotten on to Rose about anything the way they did him. "I guess so," he conceded reluctantly. "I hope you're planning something that doesn't take long to fix though, pet."

Rose smiled softly at him and touched his cheek. "Always so impatient," she said fondly. "Why don't you just play with the children for a while? I'm sure they've been waiting for it all day."

&&&&&

Angel had put the word out to everyone to comb the city for word of Drusilla. All of his informants, and everyone else's too. The way he saw it, there really wasn't anything else he could do now. But wait. Waiting, he reflected, sucked. He made a note to himself to have Spike and Rose sing for Lorne the next day. Maybe the Pylean could pick up something of Drusilla's plans that way. Not that that would necessarily help. Dru was as changeable as the wind, and twice as flighty. Being insane gave her an advantage in that it was nearly impossible to second guess her. No matter what you thought she was going to do next, she did something else. Every time. A lot of times it seemed that there was no rhyme or reason to her actions. But she tended to get results.

&&&&&&

Drusilla rummaged through a small trinket box, and pulled out a locket. She opened it up to reveal a lock of brown hair. "This ought to do for part of it, Henrietta," she remarked. "But how are we going to get something that belongs to the girlfriend?"


	6. Bubble Bubble

32

Bubble Bubble

As Rose departed for the kitchen, Spike waited for the onslaught a bit anxiously. How in hell was he going to explain things to them? How could he tell them that as a newly turned vampire, and even long after, he thought of Dru as his salvation, and wouldn't have accepted a soul as a gift? That he thought that Drusilla was the one, and that their love was eternal? That in his wildest dreams he'd never imagined how much in love he could be, or how loved, until he met Rose? Wouldn't have believed it if someone had told him that he'd have a family, or how happy they'd make him.

He had become so preoccupied in his musings that he'd almost forgotten the presence of the twins until he felt a tug at his pant's leg.

"Are you going to play with us, daddy?" Alaric asked.

Spike blinked in surprise. He'd thought he was going to be in for another session with the Inquisition. "You don't want to talk, then?" he inquired cautiously.

Ariel shook her head. "You already answered everything," she replied. "Just now, in your head," she added, when he looked a little perplexed.

Spike looked at them and realized that he was off the hook, for now. "Okay," he said in a mock growl. "Who thinks they can take me?"

Giggling, the children shoved at him, and he fell over, making it look like it was from their efforts. Then, they swarmed over him.

&&&&&&&

It was just full dark now, but Drusilla had been here some time, gliding from shadow to dusky shadow. Hiding round and about Wolfram and Hart. She wasn't quite sure what she was waiting for, yet, but the voices had told her that it was the answer to her problem, so there she and Henrietta stood.

&&&&&&

Barry Parish was a janitor at the law firm. Indeed, he had been one nearly all his adult life, and had no ambition to better his situation. It was easy work, and brought in enough to pay the bills if he didn't get extravagant. Pushing a broom suited him, and he couldn't imagine doing anything else. He'd finished with his work for the evening, and was heading out for the bus stop, a car being a luxury he didn't run to. He had little on his mind, except what he was going to nuke for dinner and what was on t.v. for the night. He certainly didn't expect to be accosted by a vampire.

"Just who we were waiting for, isn't it, Henrietta?" Barry looked around to see who she was talking to, but couldn't spot anyone.

"Yes," Drusilla went on. "I think he'll do quite nicely, dear." She waved her fingers in front of his face and caught his eyes with hers. Barry's expression went blank.

"Tell us, cleaning man," Drusilla ordered. "Do you know the one they call Rose? Spike's girlfriend?"

Barry nodded. "Her office is on my floor," he replied tonelessly.

"Very good," Drusilla said approvingly. "I need you to go back in there and fetch me something of hers. Something not too big, or noticeable, but it has to be something that she has handled. Something with her psychic signature on it. Do you think you can do that for us?"

Barry nodded again, zombielike. "Good," Drusilla said. "Now run along and get what I asked for."

Barry headed off in a shuffling walk. It had very little to do with his current mindless state, it was his usual method of locomotion. Come to that, the mindless state was very little out of the ordinary.

&&&&&&

Spike emerged from the children's room where he had been saying his good-nights, Rose already having done her turn. He went into the living room to see the glass doors to the spacious balcony they had open, and Rose standing there, gazing out on the city below.

"You shouldn't be out here, babe," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her protectively. "Not all by yourself, at any rate."

"Not even just out on our balcony?" Rose queried, snuggling back into his arms. "Drusilla can't fly, can she?"

Spike laughed, and kissed her cheek. "No, luv, she can't fly," he assured her. "'Cept maybe in her head. But a really determined vamp could probably climb up the side of the building. And I wouldn't put much of anything past Dru when she's got what's left of her mind set on something." He pulled her back into the refuge of the apartment, and shut the doors.

"Aren't you being just a little overly cautious?" Rose asked. Since he still had his arm around her, she took advantage of his proximity to kiss him.

Spike took what was meant to be a quick peck and made it last a while, lingering over it, savoring the taste of her lips. "I might be," he admitted, when he let Rose come up for air. "But humor me please, sweetheart? I love you too much to be able to stand the thought of something happening to you. Of Dru happening to you." A thought struck him. "I think that's the first time you've even gone out on that balcony. Why the sudden urge for fresh air ? That is, if you want to call the air in L.A. fresh."

"I don't know," Rose replied. "I'm just feeling a little restless, for some reason. Like the walls were closing in on me."

"Touch of cabin fever, I expect," Spike remarked. "Probably comes from having our night out interrupted."

"I don't need to go out to enjoy being with you, love." Rose initiated another kiss, one that was most decidedly not intended to be a quick peck. Without breaking contact, Spike swept her up in his arms and carried her off to the bedroom.

&&&&&

"Here we are," Drusilla announced upon her arrival at the fortune teller's shop. "And here's what you asked for. This is his." She placed the lock of hair on the table. "And this is hers." An expensive gold pen joined the hair.

"This spell," the witch murmured. "Do you want it to act immediately? Or something a little slower and more natural looking?"

"I don't like it," Dru mused. "But I think we ought to go slow. If it happens too fast, they'll suspect right away, and that would ruin my lovely plan. But if it takes a little time, no one might ever guess that it's a spell that made it happen."

The ersatz gypsy set about casting the spell while Drusilla (and Henrietta) watched with interest. When it was finally cast, she looked up at the vampire, not knowing what to expect.

"Of course, you won't be telling anyone about this, will you?" Drusilla asked.

The fortune teller shook her head.

"Good," Dru approved. "I didn't really want to have to kill you. It might cause questions to be asked. Besides." She put her hand over her mouth and gave a delicate belch. "I'm quite full at the moment."

&&&&&&

"You never cease to amaze me, babe," Spike murmured. "It's always so good." He collapsed on top of her, gently. "I could stay here all night, inside you."

"It might make sleeping a little difficult," Rose remarked playfully.

"Who said anything about sleeping?" Spike asked with a wicked grin.

Rose smiled at him lovingly, then received a start. For a brief moment, Spike's face blurred, and appeared to be another face. One nearly as familiar, and almost as dearly loved, although not in the same manner.

Spike felt it, as close as he was, and attuned to her as he was also. "Something wrong, pet?" he asked solicitously.

Rose shook her head, but it was more in confusion than a negative. "I don't know," she admitted. "Just an.., odd feeling. My eyes got all blurry." She felt lower than low, lying to him, but to tell him what she had seen, and whom, just as they had finished making love, would not only not be diplomatic, but she was pretty sure that Spike would be hurt by it.

"Hmm." Spike didn't seem entirely accepting of her explanation, but he didn't question it either. "If your eyes keep going blurry, luv, we may have to take you to an optometrist."

&&&&&&

A conference was called in Angel's office the next morning, but one member of the inner circle was conspicuously absent. "Harmony," Angel said over the intercom. "Where's Lorne?"

There was a crackle and some clicking, as if Harmony was having trouble remembering which button to press, then her voice came back to him. "He called in sick. He's got some sort of bug, and he's feeling so bad he's not sure if he'll be back in for the rest of the week."

Angel sighed. He'd wanted the Pylean to do readings on Spike and Rose first thing today. Now, it seemed like it might be the better part of a week before that could happen.

"We'll pass round the hat and get him a get well gift later," Spike drawled. "Probably ought to let the ladies pick it out. What's the fuss that required the big meeting?"

"One of our janitors was found dead in a garbage dumpster this morning," Angel said. "Vampire bites on his neck."

Spike sat up straight. "You think it's Dru?" he asked. "It's not like she's the only vamp in town."

"Drusilla's in town?" Wesley looked offended. "When were you going to get around to telling the rest of us?"

"Who's Drusilla?" Fred inquired. She looked around, feeling like she was the only one who didn't know.

"Drusilla is a psychic that I drove insane and then turned," Angel muttered, shame-faced. "Then one night, she met a crying, slobbering, broken-hearted poet..,"

"Here now," Spike protested, looking daggers at his grandsire.

"And she turned him." Angel gestured towards the fuming Spike. "They were together for over a hundred years. And now, it seems, she wants Spike back."

Fred looked appalled. Wesley, maybe a trifle bored, since he already knew it all. Gunn looked a little sheepish.

Wesley caught the look on the lawyer's face. "You knew too?" He was starting to sound pissed.

"Met her the other night when Harmony and I had the kids," Gunn mumbled. "I didn't say anything about it because I thought maybe they just wanted to keep it in the family."

"We're family," Fred stated firmly. "You should have told us."

"We should have," Angel admitted. "Maybe I was just kind of hoping that Drusilla would go away on her own."

"And she might," Rose said hopefully. "I mean.., eventually.., when she realizes that she isn't going to get what she wants. Won't she?" The last was said in a small, uncertain little voice.

"'Fraid not, babe," Spike replied, giving her a squeeze. "Once Dru gets something in her head..,"

"She never gives up," Angel finished. "I've got all the usual informants out, trying to get a line on where she's staying, but so far, no luck."

"It always seems to start that way," Wesley remarked. "But we do seem to manage to pull it out."

&&&&&&

Later, Wesley walked into Rose's office to find it in uncharacteristic disarray. "Looking for something, Rose?" he queried.

"My gold pen," Rose muttered. "The one you gave me for Christmas. I always put it away in the desk drawer, but it isn't there."

Wesley was a little surprised, Rose was methodical almost to a fault. But he was not unduly concerned. "With what's been going on lately, you might have just been so preoccupied that you mislaid it," he suggested.

"I wouldn't mislay a gift from a friend," Rose protested. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, disarranging it. "But I don't seem to be able to find it."

"I'm sure it will turn up sooner or later," Wesley soothed. "I hate to ask, Rose, but have you got the quarterly budget done? Accounting wants it turned in today."

"You do not," Rose shot back. "You absolutely love the idea of someone other than you doing it." Then, she broke down and gave him a smile. "Here it is, Wesley. Do you have any more boring administrative chores to waste my time with?"

"Now that you mention it." Wes pulled a hand out from behind his back and laid a stack of papers on her desk. "And don't worry about the pen, Rose. It's just a thing. If it doesn't turn up, I'll get you another."

&&&&&&&

Rose went into Angel's office, feeling an unanticipated tingle of expectation. She wondered at it. It wasn't as though she hadn't been there many times, including just this morning. And all she was doing was delivering a report to him. No big deal. So why did she feel this way?

&&&&&

"Well, I'll take the two of you on a trial basis," Spike allowed. He thought that the two vampires might bear watching at any rate. "But I can't finalize hiring you until you have your final screening, and we can't do that till next week."

"But we'll still get paid, right?" Den asked anxiously.

"Oh, you'll get paid," Spike agreed. He had yet to determine with what coin, though.


	7. You Made Me Love You

41

You Made Me Love You

Harmony stared at Rose's back as she walked into Angel's office. She hadn't even said hello or asked if Angel was busy, and that wasn't like her at all. Oh well, thought Harmony, maybe she was just worried about Drusilla being in town.

Angel didn't lift his head from his paperwork when someone entered his office unannounced, and Rose took a moment just to study him. She'd never before realized that he was a very attractive man. She gave herself a mental shake and approached the desk.

"Here is the department's target report that you wanted, Angel," she said, handing him the papers.

Angel took the report, and his hand brushed against hers, and he found himself lingering over the slight contact. What the hell was wrong with him? It wasn't like Rose looked on him as anything other than a friend. Or that he would want to break up her relationship with Spike. But she did look extraordinarily pretty today. He wondered that he'd never noticed how pretty she was. Or how good she smelled. He looked and saw that the report was being crumpled up, and that he was still holding her hand. How had that happened?

Rose flushed, and pulled her hand away, but not quickly. Almost reluctantly, as if she was as loathe to break the contact as he was.

"How are the kids?" he asked, making small talk just to keep her in his office a few more minutes.

"The what?" Rose seemed to be a million miles away. "Oh, the children. They're fine." She smiled at him, but it was different, somehow. Less the friendly expression he usually got from her. More like the way she smiled at Spike.

"And you're adjusting to being back at work okay?" He couldn't explain it, but he felt a pang at the thought of her leaving his office.

"Yes, it's almost like I was never gone." Rose found herself gazing into his eyes, and for no reason that she could fathom, she suddenly wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

And Angel, looking into her eyes was wondering the same thing.

&&&&&&

"You have got to be kidding me," Spike said in disgust. He was checking out the new arrivals. "How long has it been since you were turned?"

"Sometime in the 60's or 70's," Val said. "I think. I'm not sure. I was pretty stoned most of the time."

"About the same time," Den replied. "I think it was at Woodstock."

"Don't remember seeing you there," Spike remarked. "Come to that, I don't remember too much after I bit that flower person. Except watching my hand move." He gave himself a quick mental dressing down for allowing himself to be dragged down memory lane. Time to get back to business. "So in thirty or forty years give or take, you haven't learned jack shit about fighting?"

"Didn't really seem to need it," Val muttered. "Seeing how much stronger we are than humans."

"If you'd come up against one that really knew how to fight," Spike snapped. "You'd probably be dust. A Slayer wouldn't even have to work up a sweat to stake your sorry asses."

"We get by," Den grumbled. "We're still here, aren't we?"

"Well getting by isn't going to cut it anymore," Spike told them. "You two have got a lot to learn." He nodded to one of his men. "Rogers. Show this stupid git how it's done."

"You're going to have me fight a human?" Den asked in disbelief. "I'll mop the floor with him."

"I'm not wasting my time on you," Spike declared. "Go on, take a shot at him."

Den took a swing at Rogers, who had been patiently standing by. And abruptly found himself staring at the ceiling.

"See what I mean about knowing what you're doing?" Spike asked. "Now the two of you are going to start listening to some humans, because these guys are going to train you. And if you get out of line just once, I'll dust you myself."

Den and Val looked at each other. This certainly wasn't anything like they'd expected. They hoped that whatever Drusilla wanted them here for, it wouldn't last long. How did they get caught up in this mess anyway?

&&&&&

"Five more minutes, Oz, please?" Ariel batted her eyelashes at him, and gave him her sweetest baby smile.

"Yeah, Oz, can we?" Alaric smiled too, exuding childlike innocence.

But Oz noticed the pink tinges their faces were taking on despite the shade and the heavy-duty sunblock. "No dice, guys," he replied. "Sorry, but you're starting to show the sun. If I let you get burned, your folks are going to be ticked."

"But we wanted to swing some more." Both twins were pouting.

"Some other time," Oz said firmly. "You've been out enough for one day." He started herding them to the car.

"Look there," Ariel squealed, pointing.

Oz looked in the direction she was indicating, but couldn't figure out what she was trying to draw his attention to. While his concentration was elsewhere, the twins made a break for it and headed back towards the swings.

Oz didn't have very long legs, but they were still a lot longer than Alaric and Ariel's, and he caught them easily. This time, he picked them up and carried the protesting children back to the car.

&&&&&

Rose drifted back into her office, lost in a world of her own. Angel had told her that she looked pretty before, but never quite in the same tones he had in his office just now. After that remark, the silence had hung, heavy and awkward for a while, until Harmony informed him that he had an important phone call.

"Where have you been, Rose?" Wesley looked like he'd been pacing the floors of her office, which indeed he had been doing. "You've been gone over twenty minutes."

"Sorry," Rose apologized absently. "I had to take a report to Angel's office." She didn't elaborate, she didn't think Wes would require an explanation. She was wrong.

"That shouldn't have taken twenty minutes," Wesley commented. "And that's only twenty minutes that I know about, that I've been here in your office waiting for you."

"We just got to talking," Rose mumbled. "About the children and things. I guess that we didn't notice the time. I won't let it happen again."

The Watcher eyed her curiously. This was extremely atypical behavior for Rose. But he couldn't really see that there was anything he could do about it. He'd seldom seen her so preoccupied. Maybe the whole business with Drusilla was weighing on her mind more than she cared to admit. "I just came in to tell you that I checked to see if you'd left your pen in my office when you were in there yesterday," he said mildly. "But I didn't come across it. Then, I got a little worried when you were gone so long."

"I really am sorry, Wesley." This time, the apology sounded sincere. "Would you like me to let you know when I leave the office?"

"I don't believe that will be necessary," he replied. "But do try not to be gone for so long at a time again, Rose."

&&&&&&

Josh looked Val right in the eye and socked him in the gut. The vampire didn't even flinch.

"Little man," Val said. "You are going to get hurt."

"Give it your best shot then," Josh taunted him. A couple of years of dealing with Spike, and he wasn't too afraid of any vampires anymore. Except Spike. He still had the occasional nightmare.

"You asked for it." Val took his time, making a show of doubling up his fist. And was shocked beyond reacting when Josh grabbed his hand and flipped him.

"What'd you do that for?" Val whined. This wasn't any fun at all. Drusilla had better make it worth their while. Then he thought about Harmony and saw something else that might make it worth while. She was a ditz, but she was hot.

"I can move faster than that," Josh scoffed. "You can't take all day. The idea is to surprise the other guy before he can figure out what to do."

Val got to his feet. "You been here long?" he asked curiously.

"Couple years or so," Josh replied. "Ever since I tried to snatch the boss' girlfriend."

Val's mouth fell open. "You did what?" Maybe there was more to this human than met the eye. He'd sure never try to put the grab on Rose. Not at the risk of pissing Spike off.

Josh shrugged. "Paid job. Except the bitch never did pay me." He rubbed his chin. "Angel gave me a choice of working here, or pushing up daisies. I figured that here was the better gig." He glanced towards the office, whither Spike had gone. "I still have nightmares sometimes," he confessed. "I'll never forget what Spike looked like when he wondered what my blood would taste like."

"I'm surprised he didn't bleed you on the spot," Val remarked.

Josh looked at the office door again. "Seeing how crazy he is about Rose," he remarked. "So am I."

&&&&&&&

Angel was sitting at his desk, not really doing anything, although the paperwork beckoned insistently. His mind wandered, and when he really looked down at what he was doing, he realized that he doodled a thumbnail sketch of Rose on the report that she'd given him. And he would have to have been holding a pen, rather than a pencil. It wasn't going to come off. He couldn't very well have it around like that. Well, it was kind of crumpled up too. Best to replace it. He picked up the phone.

&&&&&&

"Harm's two little friends started working here today," Spike announced as Angel walked in for their daily sparring bout.

"You hired them?" Angel was shocked. Somehow the idea of Spike hiring the help just didn't sit right.

"On a trial basis," Spike elaborated. "Couldn't very well give them the go ahead without them singing for Lorne." He whipped his t-shirt over his head. "You ready to get your ass kicked?"

Angel shucked his shirt as well. "Bare hands today?" he asked. "And don't bet on it being me who gets his ass kicked."

"I still owe you for that slobbering poet remark," Spike replied. "And in front of Rose, too, you big, dumb git. I'm going to kick you into next week."

Angel's mind started wandering at the mention of Rose, and it didn't come back home where it belonged until Spike planted a roundhouse in his gut.

"You're off your game today," Spike commented. "Or is it just the fear you naturally ought to feel, knowing that the Big Bad is going to have you for lunch?"

The blow had brought Angel back to reality. "We'll see who has whom for lunch," he said with a grin. "Time to take your medicine, Spike."

Spike grinned back. "See if you can make me."

&&&&&&

"How did you enjoy working with Spike, my lads?" Drusilla asked as Val and Den dragged into the lair.

They flopped down on their respective resting places.

"I think I've got a couple of cracked ribs," Val moaned.

"I am covered with bruises," Den added. "How long do you think we're going to have to do this, Drusilla?"

"Not long," Dru replied vaguely. "But I need you to keep a sharp eye on Spike. You'll know when something starts going wrong. When the relationship starts falling apart, Spike will start falling apart." Delusional though she was, Drusilla was also quite perceptive.

"Can't be too soon for me," Den said with a groan. "I don't know how long I can take this kind of punishment."

"Poor babies," Drusilla cooed. "Maybe a little company will make you feel all better."

Den and Val's eyes opened wide. Was Drusilla saying what they thought she was saying? They hadn't even thought they had a chance with her. But their ardor cooled considerably when she tucked a dolly into bed with each of them.

"There," Drusilla said with satisfaction. "They'll take good care of my boys, won't you my darlings?"

&&&&&&

Wesley saw Rose emerging from her office with some papers in her hands.

"Where are you off to now, Rose?" he asked.

"Oh." Rose took a step back, startled. "The target report for Angel. I have to take him a new copy." She thought of a plausible excuse. "Something got spilled on it." For some reason, she decided to elaborate on the lie. "I think he said something about Harmony spilling his coffee all over it."

"I see." Wesley didn't recall ever seeing Rose so jumpy, even when she'd been pregnant and had heaven only knew how many demons after her to prevent the birth of her children. "I'm headed that way myself," he remarked. "Why don't I just take it to Angel myself and save you the trip?"

"I don't mind, really." Rose felt a brief surge of panic. Was he going to try to stop her from seeing Angel? Why would he do that?

"Well, there's no sense in both of us making the trip," Wes pointed out sensibly. "And since I have to go that way anyway, I'll take it."

Rose handed him the report without further protest, and went back into her office, feeling strangely bereft.

&&&&&&

This time, when he heard the door to his office open, Angel's head popped up from the report he was looking at without seeing. "Hi.., Wesley." In two words, he went from eager anticipation to weak disappointment.

"We did have an appointment," Wes pointed out. "Here's your new copy of the report that got ruined. What exactly got spilled on it?"

"Um.., blood," Angel lied. "I knocked it over, made a mess of everything."

Wesley shuffled the rest of the papers in his hands, totally perplexed. Angel didn't lie over such trivial matters, and he simply couldn't imagine Rose lying at all. But one or both of them were lying to him now, and he couldn't think of a good reason why. Or indeed any reason at all.


	8. Mounting Tension

46

Mounting Tension

Spike was having what seemed to be becoming his habitual chat with Oz, before he had his turn at the kids.

"Would you believe that they actually suckered me with the 'look over there' gag?" Oz shook his head. "It's hard to pin them down. One minute they're acting their age..,"

"And the next, they're acting yours," Spike finished. He looked over his offspring critically. "Took a bit of sun, did they?"

"That was what the whole thing was about," Oz explained. "They were having a good time and didn't want to stop."

Spike grinned at the thought of the kids putting one over on Oz, at least, this time, when it was fairly innocuous. "Told Rose they were gonna be smart," he said, then his expression sobered. "Didn't realize how much more work smart kids would be."

"True," Oz agreed. "But on the other hand, there's never a dull moment." He saw that Rose was wrapping things up with the kids, and that was his cue. "See you tomorrow."

Spike noticed a certain hesitation when the twins rushed him, but they waited till they had him pinned to the floor before letting him in on things.

"What's wrong with mummy?" Alaric hissed, eyes darting from his father to the kitchen entrance.

"Nothing that I'm aware of," Spike replied with a puzzled frown. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Her head is..," Ariel groped a bit, trying to find a way to put it. "It's like it's full of clouds."

"We can't see what she's thinking," his son clarified it for him.

"The last time Lorne couldn't read her," Spike mused, sitting up. "Was when she was pregnant with you two. You don't suppose..,"

"There's no one else in there, daddy," Ariel said solemnly around the finger she had stuck in her mouth. Spike gently pulled it out.

"It's just mummy in there," Alaric added. "But we can't find her."

"It's like she's lost in there," Ariel agreed. "Fix it, daddy?"

Spike was floored by that one. Fixing a broken toy was one thing. But it amazed him that they had so much faith in him that they thought he could fix something of this magnitude. "She seems all right to me," Spike murmured. "She isn't acting strange."

"No," Alaric conceded. "She's not acting strange. But we can't see her in there."

"Please, daddy?" Ariel fixed pleading eyes on him. "Bring mummy back."

&&&&&&&

"Don't you ever leave the office at quitting time?" Wesley asked, as he bumped into Gunn on his way out.

"Look who's talking," Gunn remarked with a grin. "Seems to me that you're usually about the last to leave. Except maybe for Angel." He saw a sudden frown cross the researcher's face. "Something wrong?"

"I don't know as I'd say wrong, yet," Wes admitted. "But it's strange. Gunn, have you ever known Rose to tell a lie?"

Gunn's eyes widened. "Not since we found out who, or what, she is," he said reflectively. "Come to that, she didn't even exactly lie about that. She just didn't tell us."

"And yet I got two similar, but different stories from her and Angel about the same thing today," Wesley informed him. "Which leads me to believe that one or both of them is lying. And about a relatively inconsequential matter too. I'm not quite sure what to make of it."

"What happened?" Gunn was positively consumed with curiosity now.

"I found Rose taking Angel a copy of a report that she'd already given him," Wes began the tale. "And she took a considerable amount of time getting it to him in the first place. When I asked her why he needed another copy, she told me that Harmony had spilled Angel's coffee on it. Since I had an appointment to meet with him, I took it with me. When I asked Angel about it, he said he'd spilled blood on it."

"So maybe the story got garbled," Gunn commented. "Are you sure that you're not making a mountain out of a molehill, Wes?"

"I wish I thought so," the Watcher replied. "But what made it even more strange is that when I went into Angel's office, he seemed.., oh, I don't know, disappointed, let down. As if he were expecting someone else."

"Someone else as in Rose?" Gunn suggested. "That can't be right. You've got to be imagining it, because there is no way that the two of them would..,"

"I didn't say that they had," Wesley interrupted. "But I just can't shake the feeling that something is very wrong here."

"Rose looking at anybody other than Blondie Bear for starters," Gunn said. "But I hate to think what would happen if Spike found out that she's been giving Angel the eye."

Wesley stopped and rubbed his eyes, as though by clearing his vision he could clear his thoughts. "I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourself, Gunn," he requested. "We really don't know anything for sure. Who knows? Maybe the long hours have got my imagination working overtime."

"I hope you won't take it the wrong way when I say I would like it to be your imagination," Gunn said.

"So would I, Gunn," Wesley replied quietly. "So would I."

&&&&&&

"Come out with me to find a bite to eat?" Drusilla batted her eyes at Val and Den.

"We can't," Den grumbled. "Not as long as we're working at Wolfram and Hart."

"Yeah," Val added. "They check your blood on a regular, and surprise basis to make sure that you're not feeding on humans."

"They're cutting us a little slack since we just started," Den informed her. "But after we've been there a couple of weeks, if we're there that long, if they find out we've been drinking from humans, we're fired."

Val looked at him. "I heard that it was worse than that," he commented. "I heard that if they catch you with human blood in your system, Angel stakes you."

"That sucks," Den remarked. "What in the hell are we supposed to do for dinner then?"

"The city is full of things to eat," Drusilla replied, twirling around and watching her skirt swirl around her ankles. "Dogs and cats and rats. All sorts of things."

"I am not eating rats," Val muttered. "You gotta draw the line somewhere."

&&&&&&&

"You feeling all right, babe?" Spike asked as he snuggled down into bed beside Rose. "You've been awful quiet tonight."

"Why shouldn't I be all right?" Rose returned question for question. "I guess I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

"You're not keeping things from me again, are you, luv?" Spike tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. It wasn't strictly necessary, he just liked playing with her hair.

"Why would I be keeping anything from you?" Rose cuddled up closer, hoping that he'd forget about playing twenty questions.

"I don't know," Spike replied. "But I would like to know why you've answered all my questions with questions. You haven't told me anything."

"Did it occur to you that maybe it's because there's nothing to tell?" Rose queried. "Oh, that's another question, isn't it?"

Spike sighed, and just held her close. He was beginning to think the kids were on to something, but he couldn't for the unlife of him figure out what. But he had to admit that it did seem more than somewhat odd that the children couldn't read the mind of the one person whom they'd been connected to since they'd been conceived.

&&&&&&

"Good morning, Rose."

Rose started. He'd entered her office so quietly that she hadn't realized that anyone was there until he'd spoken. "Oh, hello, Angel," she stammered. "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to thank you for that extra copy of that report yesterday," he replied.

Rose blushed. "That isn't necessary. It is part of my job."

Angel put one hand on her desk and leaned down towards her. "But you're going to accept my thank you anyway, aren't you, Rose?" he said softly. "If you don't, you'll hurt my feelings." His other hand came from around his back and set a bud vase with a single red rose in it on her desk.

Rose found herself incredibly touched by the gesture. "Thank you, Liam," she almost whispered. "It's lovely. But you really didn't have to..,"

"I wanted to," he answered. "I like doing things for you, Rose." He paused for a moment, just to look into her clear, gray eyes. "I like it when you call me Liam. It makes me feel closer to you."

Without conscious thought on her part, Rose's head tilted back, till it was at the same angle as his, leaning towards her. Her eyes were fixed on his, and she seemed to be having a problem with breathing regularly.

Angel moved in even closer. This was wrong, he thought. He shouldn't do this, shouldn't even be thinking of doing this. But somehow, he just couldn't help himself. He bent to kiss her.

When their lips were but a bare whisper away from contact, he abruptly pulled away and stood up. "Someone's coming," he announced.

Rose didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved. She should be glad that it hadn't happened, that she hadn't betrayed Spike like that. But still, she wondered what it would have been like, kissing Angel.

Angel left, and Wesley entered. He noticed the new decoration immediately. He noticed everything.

"Did Angel give you that?" he asked. His brow wrinkled at the effort it took not to out and out frown at her.

Rose nodded. "He said it was to thank me for making him another copy of that report yesterday," she explained. "Did you need something, Wesley?"

"Employee evaluation time again," he replied, putting a stack of papers on her desk. "Sorry, Rose, but I really am busy."

Rose bit back a groan. She remembered what had happened the last time she had done the employee evaluations for the department, and she had no desire to go through that again. But Wesley was still her department head, so unless she was prepared to quit, she had to take whatever he dished out for her. The thought crossed her mind that Angel wouldn't unload the things he didn't want to do on her like this.

"Rose?" Wes snapped his fingers in front of her face, making her jump. "Where did you go off to just now?"

"Wasn't I right here?" Rose asked. She knew what he meant, but he might believe that she'd missed the metaphor. She often did.

The Watcher gave her a calculating look, but forbore further comment. "I'll need those evaluations by the end of next week, Rose," he instructed, and turned for the door.

&&&&&&

The twins were doing it to him again, Oz thought. Sharing their own private conversations and shutting him out. And while they could often be quite serious, given their ages, he thought that he'd never seen them look so.., troubled, before.

He knelt beside them where they were plucking out snatches of tunes on their keyboard in a desultory manner. Definitely a switch from two little people who tackled everything head on.

"Is something wrong?" he asked gently. He had an ever-growing fondness for the precocious pair, and didn't like seeing them so listless.

"Nothing," said Ariel, obviously lying. She kept her eyes riveted on the keyboard.

"We're okay," Alaric added almost tonelessly. He plunked his finger down on a random key.

Oz already knew the futility of trying to pry anything out of them they didn't want to divulge. He found himself wishing that he could make right whatever was wrong with them.

"Thank you, Oz," Ariel murmured. "But if daddy can't fix it, we don't think you can."

"What about your mother?" Oz asked, then nearly kicked himself as the pieces fell into place.

The twins looked up at him, with identical helpless, hopeless looks on their faces.

Then, they began to cry.

&&&&&

"What is the matter with you, you candy-assed git?" Spike growled, as his staff hit the back of Angel's knees and toppled him on his backside. "Last coupla days you've been nothing. I might as well work out with a human."

"In case you hadn't noticed, Spike," Angel shot back tersely. "I have a lot of responsibilities, a lot on my mind. I'm sorry, but you don't happen to be the center of the universe."

"You're sorry all right," Spike agreed. "But you've had things on your mind, such as it is, before. Didn't stop you from making me work to kick your ass."

"You mean it didn't stop me from kicking your ass," Angel corrected. He rushed Spike, staff whirling, but his grandchilde neatly parried every move he made.

"See?" Spike said. "Right now, I reckon that the kids could take you on and mop the floor with you." He toppled Angel off his feet again, then threw his staff aside in disgust. "I've got better things to do with my time."

Something inside Angel seemed to snap. The irritation that Spike almost invariably seemed to incite in him. The myriad times that he'd embarrassed Rose. The fact that Rose had to put up with the supercilious little jerk. It all came to the fore, and with Angelus howling in his head, he rushed at Spike's unprotected back.


	9. Time Ticks

49

Time Ticks

A green hand reached out and snagged the neck of a bottle. He wasn't sure what was in it, not at this point in time. All that he cared about was that it contained a few more shots of painkiller. Not that it was doing a whole hell of a lot on that score. His whole body felt abused, but not as abused as his aching heart. He wondered if even Harmony, dizzy as she was had bought the virus story. Yeah, a virus all right. Bitten by the love bug. Right on the ass. He groaned and tossed back another double's worth.

&&&&&&

Ethan was pacing the confines of his cell. If he had been capable of it, he would have been climbing the walls. He could see what they were up to. Little mind games, intended to make him sweat.

They were working admirably well, too. Add to that he had no way to keep track of the passage of time. No windows, no clocks, and the meals seemed to be served, from what he could tell, at irregular intervals. Tremendously disorienting. He grabbed hold of the bars and gave them a futile shake, then slumped down onto his uncomfortable cot.

He still didn't know just what they were going to do with him.

&&&&&&

Oz checked on the kids again, making sure that they actually were taking their naps. This morning's episode bothered him more than he'd care to admit, and it had hurt him a little too. Although the twins had accepted comfort from him, allowing him to cuddle them while they cried, they'd still adamantly refused to tell him what was wrong. He sighed. They were cute, adorable, smart, precocious as all get out, at times excessively irritating, but he had become very attached to them and he hated seeing them so upset. He resolved to have a longer than usual talk with Spike tonight. And along more serious lines than usual. Whatever was going on, something would have to be done about it. For the kid's sake.

&&&&&&&

Spike heard the pounding footfalls of someone who was moving too quickly to have a care about being quiet. Almost instinctively, he dropped to the floor, and rolled towards, not away from, the approaching figure, tripping him up, and laying him out on the floor.

Spike sprang to his feet. "What in hell did you do that for, you big ponce?" His tones were an equal measure of irritation and surprise. "Did I hurt your little feelings?"

Angel got to his feet. "Maybe I'm just sick of your smart mouth, Spike," he snarled. "Tired of your attitude."

Spike eyed him speculatively. "That's always been a given," he remarked. "Was never enough to make you try'n attack me from behind."

Angel returned Spike's gaze, and came to the realization that he couldn't tell him the real reason he'd felt goaded into the action. While he didn't give a tinker's dam about Spike's feelings, if he opened his mouth now, it was likely to rebound on Rose. He didn't want to hurt Rose. "Go screw yourself, Spike," he said tiredly, then turned and walked away.

Spike watched the retreating figure for a moment, then shook his head. He still couldn't bleeding figure out what had prompted the outburst. But his grandsire was being as close-mouthed as the light of his existence was.

Never once did it occur to Spike to make a connection between the two.

&&&&&&

"Rose." Fred looked at her lunch companion. "Is something wrong? You act like you're a million miles away."

"What?" Rose looked back at Fred with a guilty start. She'd been daydreaming about those few moments alone with Angel in her office. "Did you say something, Fred?"

"I asked if something was wrong," Fred repeated. "You haven't been here at all today. Is the Drusilla thing bothering you? I mean, what with her and Spike having been together for over a hundred years and all."

"No, nothing like that," Rose replied. "Spike set me straight on that score when I was having the nightmares about him and the Slayer. I know that Spike would never leave me for another woman."

"Then what is bothering you?" Fred pressed. "Because you really haven't been yourself lately. I'm not the only one who's noticed it, either. Harmony said you walked on by her yesterday without so much as a hello, let alone stopping a minute to chat about the kids like you usually do."

"I've just been a little.., oh, I don't know.., fuzzy headed lately," Rose admitted. "Maybe it's just the stress of coming back to work. I had been gone for quite a while."

"And you've been back for over a month now," Fred pointed out. "So why would it be kicking in now? After this much time you should be adjusted to things."

Rose shrugged. "I don't know, Fred," she answered. "Maybe it's, what do you call it? Just one of those things." She looked mightily pleased with herself at having dredged up the appropriate phrase. "I'm sure it will pass of its own accord before long."

"If it doesn't," Fred remarked. "You may want to see a psychologist."

&&&&&&

Angel felt fidgety. He wanted to see Rose. But he couldn't just send for her out of the blue. And he couldn't keep popping down to her office, either. The Wolfram and Hart rumor mill would be in full swing if he did. He had to have a reason. One that people would accept as perfectly innocent. And he had to see Rose. Have her near him, hear the sound of her voice, breathe in her sweet scent. He stopped his musings abruptly. What was he thinking about? Rose was with Spike. She was, inexplicably by his lights, totally in love with Spike. He shouldn't even be thinking about her except as a friend. But she had wanted him to kiss her. He could tell that. She had wanted him to kiss her, and he would have if Wesley hadn't interrupted them. He had to find a way to get Rose all to himself. At least, for a little while.

&&&&&&&

Rose's eyes flicked back and forth between her book and her computer screen while her fingers clicked away at the keyboard. But her angry muttering had nothing to do with the work at hand. "Spike thinks I need an eye doctor," she growled, even though, or perhaps because, there was no one there to hear her. "Fred thinks I ought to see a psychologist. Why can't people mind their own business?" She reached down to turn a page. "Wesley acts like it's a crime for me to spend time talking to Angel. Even the children were looking at me oddly last night." She stopped and brushed her hair out of her face. "What on earth is wrong with everybody? The only person who hasn't been acting like I'm some sort of freak or mental case lately is Angel." She went back to work for a few minutes, typing furiously. She halted abruptly. Angel was her friend, her best friend. The one who never treated her differently no matter how strange everyone else had become. Somehow, it had conveniently slipped her notice that Angel had never tried to kiss her before, not like that. She wished there was a way that she could go spend some time with Angel, just to feel relatively normal again. But if she just went to his office on anything but official business, people would talk. And eventually, Spike would hear. Angel was always a touchy subject with Spike anyway. But she wished she could be with him. For a little while.

&&&&&&

"I'm not sure I should be reading this to you," Oz said slowly. "It's not exactly..,"

"You mean it's not a little kiddie book," Ariel interrupted.

"We went right off those a long time ago, didn't we, Ari'l?" Alaric added.

"We want you to read us that one, Oz." Ariel looked up at him pleadingly, and somehow, Oz got the idea that the answer to what was upsetting them might be in this book. Or at least, they thought it was. And that was all it took for him to cave in.

Oz plopped down on the sofa, and the children swarmed up onto his lap so they could see what he was reading and test their meager skills by trying to follow along. "Effective Mind Control Through Spell-Casting." He started in with the title. He didn't know what was going on, just that the twins thought there was something wrong with their mother, and evidently that someone had cast a spell to tamper with her mind. Rose had seemed perfectly normal to him last night. But then again, he couldn't see into her mind the way her children could. And it was little enough to do if it would help soothe their fears.

Alaric and Ariel snuggled back against the werewolf, eyes following his moving finger as it pointed out the words. They'd find out what was wrong with mummy. Somehow, they'd find out. And then daddy could fix it and make everything all better again.

"Spells controlling the mind are the most difficult, since each mind is different," Oz read. "Therefore, each spell must be tailored to suit the subject of the casting." He glanced down at his rapt audience and wondered just how much of it they understood. Probably more of it than he did. "That is why spells to control emotions are more widely used, being easier and in less need of altering."

"Wait," Alaric demanded. He immediately went into telepathic conference with his sister. It didn't take long, and then the two children looked back up at him.

"We don't think that's the right book, Oz," Ariel explained.

"So I'm guessing that you want a book about spells that control emotions?" Oz suggested tentatively.

Alaric nodded. "Look and see if mummy has one," he ordered. "If she does, that's the one we want you to read."

"What if she doesn't?" Oz inquired.

There was another brief, silent conversation.

"Then we'll have to ask Uncle Wes," Ariel decided. "Uncle Wes has all the books in the world."

&&&&&&

Harmony bounced into Angel's office. "Boss," she chirped. "Can I take off a little early today? I have a date tonight, and I don't have anything to wear."

Angel couldn't recall seeing Harmony in the same outfit twice, so he couldn't see that as having nothing to wear. On the other hand, he didn't really need her right now. And if she wasn't here, she wouldn't be coming into his office and bothering him. "Sure, go ahead," he replied. He looked at the time. It was over an hour till office hours were over. Oh, what the hell. "You can leave now if you like."

"Thanks, boss," Harmony squealed. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree. Then, it fell. "Oh darn," she muttered. "I forgot. I don't have any money." She gave Angel an appealing look. "Do you think I could have an advance on my paycheck? It's only a couple of days till payday anyway."

Angel sighed and scribbled a note for her to show at accounting. "Don't count on this happening again, Harmony," he warned. It wouldn't have happened now, except that he didn't want her around. He didn't really want anyone around right now. Except Rose.

"Scout's honor," Harmony said, forgetting that she hadn't even been able to make it past the brownie stage of girl scouts. "Thanks a million." She practically skipped out of the office.

&&&&&&&

Wesley saw Rose locking up her office nearly half an hour early. "I don't recall you ever leaving early without being told to, Rose," he remarked. "I hope there's nothing wrong with the children."

Rose flushed, embarrassed at having been caught playing hooky. "I've just been obsessing about that gold pen of mine," she confessed. "I thought maybe if I retraced my steps from the day before it turned up missing, I might figure out where it's gotten to."

Wesley started to laugh, but suppressed it. She was really serious about it. Well, maybe that was why she was so good at her job. A mind that could deal with details. "Go ahead, Rose," he replied. "I wish you luck, but I'm afraid that you're going on a wild goose chase."

Rose got that confused look on her face again. "No, Wesley," she argued. "I'm looking for my pen."

&&&&&&&

Spike was mildly surprised, but not unduly concerned, when Rose didn't meet him at the lift to their flat. Probably had her nose stuck in a book and lost track of the time, he thought. Wouldn't be the first time it had happened. He was torn between wanting to go fetch her, and wanting to see the kids. He finally came to the conclusion that Rose was a big girl and could find her own way home, but that it wasn't fair to Oz to be late. With a sigh, he punched the lift button and got in.

&&&&&&&&

"Come along then boys," Drusilla coaxed. "I'll find you a nice, fat puppy dog for dinner."

"We ate before we left the law firm," Val said.

"Yeah, Spike gave us some blood," Den added. "He said he knew how hard it was to come by when you didn't have any bread and couldn't feed off humans."

"What's with that, anyway?" Val wondered aloud.

"Once upon a time," Dru began, swaying slightly, as though to unseen music. "Some very nasty army boys caught my darling Spike. They put little wires in his head that made it hurt, oh, so bad, when he hurt a human."

"You mean he's some kind of cyborg or something?" Den asked in awe.

Drusilla shook her head. She didn't understand the term, but whatever it was, Spike wasn't one. "No," she replied dreamily. "The naughty little wires are all gone. I don't know why Spike wants to be a good boy now. Unless." Her voice slipped down to a whisper. "It's because of the girl. Spike will do anything for a girl he fancies."

"Wait a minute." This didn't tally up with Val's notion of what the Big Bad should be like. "Are you telling me that Spike is whipped?"

Drusilla's expression became rather pensive. "I don't believe so," she replied. "At least, not recently." She grinned. "But I'll take care of that when I get him back."

&&&&&&

Rose was mumbling to herself as she walked from place to place around the law firm. She knew that the pen wasn't really all that big a deal, but it bothered her, not knowing what had happened to it. She had made her way through about half of her day, the day when she'd last seen it.

"Let me see," she muttered. "Then, I went to lunch with Fred, but I didn't have my pen out. That would be silly, eating with your pen. Then, I went back to my office. But that's the one place I know it's not. And after that..," She stopped a moment, concentrating, remembering. "After that I had to go have Angel sign an authorization form for some classified files," she finished triumphantly. "Angel's office it is."

&&&&&&&

Spike felt almost naked, walking in the front door without Rose. And the look the kids gave him. They looked positively petrified that he'd arrived alone.

"Where's Rose?" Oz asked, just barely beating the twins to the punch.

"Probably still at her desk," Spike replied. "Sometimes the time gets away from her. But I didn't think I ought to keep you waiting, Oz."

"I don't mind," Oz said. His eyes flicked towards the room's other occupants. "But I think I know some people who do. Why don't you go ahead and get her? I don't mind staying a little while longer."

"You're sure then?" It was what Spike had wanted to do in the first place anyway. He abruptly dropped to one knee. "Here you two. Why don't you give your dad a quick kiss? Then, I'll go find your mum."

The twins flung themselves into his arms, and Spike squeezed them as tightly as he could without hurting them. He could smell traces of salt tears on them. He'd have to ask Oz about that when he got back. With Rose.


	10. Almost

55

Almost

Angel was just getting ready to lock the door to his office when Rose arrived.

"Angel, wait," Rose requested.

He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her. "What can I do for you, Rose?" he asked politely. But the politeness was all on the outside. On the inside, he was having a mental image of laying her across his desk and making love to her.

Rose hesitated. "I know this is going to sound silly," she mumbled, eyes dropping to the floor. "But I mislaid the pen Wesley got me for Christmas, and I'm just driving myself nuts wondering where it could have gotten to. I know I had it the other day when you signed that authorization for me, so could I look in your office?" Once she'd said her piece, she felt a sudden thrill, just being near him.

"You can have anything you want, Rose," Angel replied softly. "I'll even help you look. But if it was here, I'm sure the cleaning staff would have found it."

"If they did, wouldn't they probably have put it in your desk?" Rose suggested. "I know it's just a little thing, Liam, but it's been bothering me."

"We'll look there," Angel promised. "We'll search the entire office from floor to ceiling if that's what will make you happy."

It gave Rose an unexpected warm glow just to hear him say that he wanted to make her happy. The sort of feeling that she had previously reserved for Spike alone. She entered the office, feeling, on top of the glow, a sudden attack of nerves. "Why don't you check your desk drawers?" she suggested. "And I'll just look around elsewhere."

&&&&&&&

Spike frowned. He hadn't seen Rose anywhere between her office and the lift, and yet here was her office, locked up tight. He didn't think someone could have made off with her again. Security had very specific orders regarding keeping an eye on Rose. And there couldn't have been any kind of alert. Stupid git though he was, his grandsire would have notified him if something was amiss. Maybe she'd dropped in on someone else. Couldn't be Lorne, still out sick. And the research department was totally deserted. That still left Gunn, Fred, Harm, and the ponce himself. He shook his head. It would have to be something work related. He couldn't imagine her being late getting home just to socialize.

&&&&&&&

Angel obediently went through his desk drawers, each and every one of them. He didn't expect to find anything, and he didn't. But if Rose asked him, he'd yank out the drawers and dump them on the floor. He looked up from his search and felt a brief surge of panic when he couldn't see her. "Rose?"

Rose's head popped up from behind the sofa. "I'm checking in the cushions," she explained. "You didn't find it, did you?"

"No," he replied with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry, Rose." Somehow, just delivering the news made him feel like a heel. Like he'd let her down.

Rose pushed the ever present wayward strand of hair out of her face and sat back on her heels. "I guess I really didn't expect to find it," she sighed. "But, since I'm already here, I think I'll take a quick look under the furniture."

"I'll help," Angel offered. Soon, they were both crawling around on the floor, peering under the furnishings. And in their separate wanderings around the room, somehow they managed to end up their respective searches in the same place. On their hands and knees, almost nose to nose with each other.

"We didn't find it, did we?" Rose asked softly. For some reason, the pen seemed monumentally unimportant now. He was so close to her. And he had that look in his eye again. The one that said that he wanted to kiss her.

"No, we didn't." He suddenly remembered, for no apparent reason, her first date with Spike. When he'd had to cut her clothes off her to keep her from being burned by acidic demon's blood. He'd tried to look as little as was possible, then. But he'd had to do a certain amount of looking just to make sure he got the contaminated clothing off her without hurting her. And the peek he had sneaked when she'd emerged from the ocean. Aphrodite rising from the foam. He knew what he was feeling, but it suddenly became of paramount importance that he find out if she felt the same way. "What do you want now, Rose?" he asked, tones soft and husky.

"I.., I'm not sure," Rose stammered. But she did know. She wanted him to kiss her. And more. Things that she had never even dreamed of doing with anyone but Spike, she now wanted to do with Angel.

"I think you do know, Rose," he whispered. He reached up and hand and carefully traced the outline of her lips with his index finger. "Tell me. Please."

"I.., I.., I want you to..," She never finished the sentence. She was interrupted by the door flying open.

&&&&&&&

The only thing that kept Oz from pacing the floor was the knowledge of the effect that it would have on his young charges. The way they'd been all day, this had to be sheer hell for them. He looked to where they sat on the sofa, side by side, eyes riveted to the door, as though they feared to look elsewhere. Come to that, he hadn't felt this antsy since the coming of the blue moon. He was really going to have to have a talk with Spike. If he was going to have to deal with the fallout as it affected the children, he reflected, he had a right to know.

&&&&&&

Spike had been practically all over the building, and hadn't seen a soul except for a few members of the cleaning staff. There was just one place he hadn't checked yet. Angel's office. He quickened his pace. If he hadn't been so worried, by this point in time he'd be getting seriously annoyed with Rose. He kept his eyes peeled and made his way to the CEO's office, and flung open the door.

Two heads raised up to look at the disturbance he'd caused. "What'n hell are the two of you doing on the floor?" he inquired in a growl. "Do you have any idea what time it is, luv? The kids looked half worried to death when you didn't come home with me."

Rose sat back on her heels, unable to speak. Angel got to his feet, and gave Rose a hand up, and felt an almost electrical jolt run up his arm from where their hands made contact. "We were looking for her lost pen," he explained to Spike. "She thought she might have dropped it in here."

"Still going on about that sodding pen?" Spike went over to Rose and wrapped his arm around her waist. It must have been his imagination, but he could swear that she initially stiffened up a bit at the contact before relaxing into his embrace and leaning her head on his shoulder like she usually did. "Give it a rest, pet. I'll get you another one if you think it's that bloody important."

"It's all right, darling," Rose murmured, although her voice had an oddly mechanical quality to it. "It's not really that important, I guess. It wasn't the pen so much as it was the not knowing."

"If one of the cleaning crew found it, they probably pocketed it," Spike remarked. He kissed the top of Rose's head, and Angel felt a surge of jealousy. "Don't you think we've kept Oz and the kids waiting long enough?"

"Of course," Rose agreed. As she turned to pick up her briefcase, she shared a quick, agonized glance with Angel, then allowed Spike to take her home.

Angel just stood there staring the longest time after they left. Then, his fist thumped down on his desk so hard that it caused pretty much everything in the room to rattle. Damn Spike.

&&&&&&&

"My, my," Drusilla scolded gently. "The two of you have certainly become a pair of slugabeds. Rise and shine, my fine fellows. The moonlight's wasting."

"We've been up all day, Drusilla," Val groaned. "We're bushed."

"And we've got a date with Harmony tonight," Den added. "We're already doing what you wanted. Keeping an eye on Spike. What more do you want from us?"

Drusilla pouted. "Henrietta and I were wanting a bit of company," she said sulkily. Her mind switched gears with the blink of an eye. "Listen to the stars singing. Don't they sound lovely?" Another lightning change in tack. "How is Spike doing?"

"He gave us what he called an evaluation of our training status today," Val said. He didn't sound at all happy about it.

"Felt more like an ass-kicking to me," Den grumbled. "I think he's got it in for us. We're the only vamps on the team. Except for him."

"Spike always did play a little rough," Dru remarked. A slow, sly smile worked its way across her face. "Some of us like it that way."

&&&&&&&

Rose handed her case to Spike before she even got in the door. As soon as she was inside, she was all over the children. "Oh my darlings," she exclaimed, bestowing hugs and kisses. "Mummy is so sorry she's late. Will you forgive me?"

The twins snuggled into the familiar form, but the eyes peering over her shoulder at their father told him that nothing had changed.

Oz gave Spike a nudge. "Can I have a word with you?" he asked quietly. "In private?"

Spike considered the possibilities and motioned him into the entryway. "Sounds serious." He sighed. "The kids still going on about Rose, aren't they?"

"I just barely managed to find out that it was about Rose," Oz replied. "But not what's going on. All I know is that they're very upset about something. Something they think they can find the answer to in a book of spells."

"A book of spells?" Spike was dumbfounded. "They think a spell did it?"

"It might help if I knew what 'it' is," Oz pointed out.

"Started last night," Spike answered. "They got all bent out of shape. Said they couldn't see inside her head. Like she was lost in there. From the look I just got from them, I don't think anything has changed."

"You don't suppose they could just be outgrowing their ability to read minds, do you?" Oz offered. His heart wasn't really in that one, though.

"And the first person they lose contact with is the one they shared a body with for nine months?" Spike wasn't buying it, and Oz couldn't blame him. "If it did happen, I'm thinking Rose is the last person they'd lose touch with."

"You're probably right," Oz said. "So where does that leave us?"

"What kind of spells were they interested in?" Spike inquired. "They're smart little devils. Might give us a starting place at least."

"First we were going to start on mind control," Oz replied. "Then, when the book pointed out how difficult mind control spells are and how much easier it is to control the emotions, they wanted to try that avenue. The problem is, Rose didn't have a book on the subject. And I didn't think it would be too cool going down to Wesley's office during working hours to ask if he had something on the subject."

Spike looked thoughtful. "Tell you what," he said. "I'll pop in and have a quick word with the Watcher tomorrow. If I can talk Percy round it, he can send you up what you need."

Oz nodded. "I guess that will work as good as anything," he conceded. He glanced at the shut door. "Rose will probably be wondering what's going on. I'd better boogie."

Spike nodded and watched him go. With a sigh, he turned back into the apartment. Hell of a situation, but what was he supposed to do about it?

&&&&&&&

Spike looked down at Rose, and saw her as he had so many times. Her face flushed, her breath coming in gasps, body slicked with sweat as he moved inside her. He loved seeing her like that, knowing that he was the one that was making her feel that way. She was almost there now, he could tell. He'd seen it so many times, and yet, he never tired of it, never would. Her breaths came faster, her heart beat so furiously that the sound of it seemed to fill the whole room. Her fingers curled around his arms, her body arching up to meet his. Then, her eyes met his, and he saw that look that was meant for him alone. The one that told him how much she loved him. If he had to, he'd trade everything in the world for that look. A low moan issued from her lips, growing in volume as she grew closer to her climax. Then, suddenly, eyes still on his, she gasped out, "Angel, darling."

Spike sat up with a start, drawing in unnecessary breaths. Could almost swear that his heart was beating. It took a moment for him to steady himself. He looked down at the bed beside him. There was Rose, sleeping so soundly that he hadn't even woke her up. His beautiful love. He didn't have the first clue what had prompted his subconscious to spring that dream on him, but sod all if he wouldn't prefer remembering being burned alive. He considered curling up next to her, holding her close and letting her heal him just by being there, but the jolt of adrenalin had to burn off first. Otherwise, he'd just be so restless that he really would wake her up. He grabbed his robe and threw it on. Never knew when one of the kids might get middle of the night wanderlust. He headed for the kitchen. Maybe a cup of cocoa would soothe his jangled nerves and help him get back to sleep. He spared one more glance for Rose, sleeping innocently and profoundly, and thanked The Powers that she loved him. Then, he continued on to the kitchen. He wondered if they had any of those little marshmallows.

&&&&&&

Drusilla stood across the street from Wolfram and Hart, looking up at the night sky, or the upper floors of the building, it could have been anybody's guess. She'd never attempted this sort of thing before. She wondered, in a distracted sort of way, if it had worked. Then, her keen vampire's eye saw a tiny pinpoint of light flicker to life at the very top of the building. She smiled. "Sleep well, my darling Spike," she murmured. That ought to help lay the groundwork. Make it easier for Spike to believe it when the real thing actually happened. She didn't need to be there to know. The stars told her much of what was going on, and the tension was so great that it practically radiated from the building in all directions. "Come along, Henrietta," she said. "I'm feeling quite peckish. Why don't we see if we can find someone to eat?"

&&&&&&&

Angel flung his pillow across the room in frustration. He couldn't get to sleep. It felt like he had been tossing and turning for a couple of night's worth of time, but a glance at the clock told him he'd been in bed a bare three hours. It felt like three eternities. Three eternities without Rose.


	11. Stolen Moments

63

Stolen Moments

Rose was on her way to lunch when she passed by Lorne's office. She missed him, he was someone she'd always been able to talk to. On an impulse, she stepped inside. Her eyes roved around the room, taking in the familiar details, and finally came to rest on the planter that still sat on his desk. To her admittedly inexperienced eye, the plants contained therein did not look happy. They probably hadn't been watered all week. She checked through Lorne's collection of potables and actually found a bottle of water. She applied a generous amount, then just stood there, mind wandering.

He moved so quietly she didn't hear him enter the room. Didn't realize she wasn't alone until his arms circled her waist, causing her to start.

"It's just me," Angel whispered in her ear. "You're not afraid of me, are you, Rose?"

"Of course not," Rose answered softly. She turned in his arms, so she could face him, and almost of their own volition, hers reached up to twine around his neck.

It never once occurred to either of them that as short a time ago as the beginning of the week they'd never even have dreamt of doing what they were doing now. Now was all that mattered, and now they felt an insatiable craving for each other.

His lips brushed across hers, gently, tentatively, not entirely sure if she wanted it as much as he did. Then, Rose's lips parted in invitation, and she pressed her body close to his, and he unleashed the hunger that had been building to such an exquisite torment. Drinking in the taste of her like he was in the middle of the desert and she was an oasis.

&&&&&&&

Spike stepped out of the shower stall, thankful that someone had been thoughtful enough to install the things in his section. He felt like he must have washed a couple of pounds worth of demon's blood and guts off himself. Since it had happened before, he also had a spare set of clothes that he kept here. Good thing, too. He examined what he had been wearing and chunked it all in the waste bin. Total write off, beyond the help of any laundry detergent. He looked at the time and saw that the lunch break had been and gone while he was out. Oh well, he thought. It wasn't like he hadn't gotten a workout today. And the way the ponce had been fighting of late, it wasn't really worth the effort. He strolled into his office, put his feet up on the desk, leaned back and closed his eyes.

&&&&&&

Spike had been as good as his word, and before he and Rose had been gone an hour, one of the research department brought up the requested book. Oz had read to the kids for over an hour, and had only been allowed to stop by pleading a dry throat and promising to read more later. The book was badly written, leaping from subject to subject and back again with very little that seemed coherent. But the twins had sat and listened intently, trying to absorb it all, and interrupting only when Oz came across the occasional word that they needed defined. They were napping now, and Oz was cleaning up after 'tea time', even though Rose had protested time and again that he didn't need to, that she'd attend to it when she returned for the evening. Oz had pointed out that while the kids were asleep, he really didn't have much of anything to do, and it was a small enough chore. They wrangled about it on a semi-regular basis now, with neither side giving an inch. Rose still insisted that he not do it, and Oz went ahead and did it anyway. He looked at the clock and found that nap time wasn't even half over. It was amazing how quiet the place became when Alaric and Ariel were asleep. Even when they weren't talking the place seemed filled with their energy. It just seemed unnaturally still when they weren't keeping things alive. He looked at the clock again, and sighed. Even reading spells until he was hoarse was preferable to this.

&&&&&&

He'd lifted Rose up onto the desk to bring her more on a level with him. Their lips had scarcely parted company during the maneuver. Or at all, since they'd started. Now, he pulled away. Not too far, though. "I can't believe I haven't noticed how beautiful you are before," he breathed. "How sexy. I want you, Rose."

"I want you too," Rose replied breathlessly. Her hands slid inside the open collar of his shirt.

Angel groaned and pulled her closer again. He bent his head towards her, not seeking her lips this time, but going for the base of her throat. He'd just reached his initial goal and was beginning to work his way downward when an insistent beeping came from his jacket pocket.

Rose jumped as though she'd been bitten, and Angel growled a curse. He pulled out the source of the offending sound. He looked at the message on the pager. "Damn. I have an important meeting with a client." He looked at Rose, saw the disappointment in her eyes and was sorely tempted to consign the client to a warmer climate than California.

Rose felt almost as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on her. She looked at the time. "Oh heavens," she gasped. "I'm almost half an hour late. Wesley will kill me."

"Only if he catches you," Angel pointed out. He pulled her close for one last, quick kiss.

&&&&&&&

"C'mon, guys, even big people have to stop and play sometimes," Oz said. The twins had demanded that he resume reading to them the moment they woke from their nap.

"This is 'portant," Alaric stated. "We need to find out how to fix mummy."

Ariel shot her brother a look. They hadn't been going to tell Oz about it.

"He already knows," Alaric answered, before she could ask. "Daddy told him."

Since the cat was already out of the bag, Ariel decided to turn on the charm for all it was worth. "Please, Oz," she begged, large gray eyes wide and ingenuous. "We want mummy back."

Oz hesitated, then gave up the fight. "A half hour," he cautioned. "No more. Then we'll have to put the book away. Your mother doesn't know we're reading it. She'd probably want to know why."

The children nodded sagely, oddly adult expressions on their chubby-cheeked little faces. "We could put it there." Alaric pointed towards a woodbox with a lid near the fireplace.

Ariel nodded. "Mummy never looks in there," she agreed. "Not after she saw the baby spiders hatching."

"Sounds like a plan," Oz conceded. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the thought of keeping things from Rose. After all she was his employer, or at least, one of them. But Spike approved, and that would have to be enough. That and two very special children on their own personal quest to 'fix' their mother.

&&&&&&

Rose got back to her office with apparently no one the wiser. Once there, it occurred to her to wonder just how her appearance had fared the interlude in Lorne's office. She pulled out a small mirror that she kept on hand, mainly for use in reading some very obscure texts that were written back to front. A critical look showed that her lips had a full, almost swollen look that screamed out the news that she had been kissing someone. She took another look and decided that no one would notice it if they weren't looking for it. But her hair was severely disarranged. She pulled out her hairbrush and effected some damage control. One last look, and she determined that no one would be the wiser. She hoped. With a sigh, she pulled the employee evaluation forms towards her and started filling out the top one.

&&&&&&

As Angel approached his office, he saw Harmony unsuccessfully trying to cover a huge yawn. "Late night?" he guessed. He was in too good a mood to even bother being irritated.

If Harmony hadn't been a vampire, she probably would have blushed. "Yes," she admitted. "The clients just made it to the lobby a couple of minutes ago. They ought to be up here any time." As Angel walked on by, she yawned again. She hadn't had more than four hours of sleep, if that. She and her two new suitors had been out dancing till all hours. Okay, so someone really ought to tell them that disco was dead, but at least they made the effort. She couldn't recall when she'd last been out with a guy who had been willing to set his feet to the dance floor. But there were two of them and only one of her. She decided that from now on, maybe she'd better keep the dates reserved for the weekend nights, when she could sleep in the next day. She yawned again.

&&&&&&&

Spike's little nap had re-charged his batteries, and he found himself brimming with energy and in need of an outlet for it. He decided to have another go at his two new recruits. He was starting to wonder about his initial suspicions of them. He really didn't see them as being conspirator material. A short laugh escaped him. The Cheech and Chong of the vampire world, he thought. Humility wasn't something he was possessed of in a great abundance, but he was beginning to wonder if he could ever get those two shaped up into anything remotely resembling a well-trained member of his team. On the other hand, he'd done it with Josh Maxwell. If that sorry sod could make a go of it, then there was hope even for Val and Den. Maybe. He picked up his staff. He thought he'd let the pair of them have weapons too. Show them that being better armed didn't mean bugger all if you didn't know how to use the stuff. He started whistling as he went into the practice room.

&&&&&&&

The two demons stared at Angel with an unblinking gaze. Not surprising, since they didn't have eyelids. But it was disconcerting as hell even knowing that. And they had made it plain that they didn't entirely trust him. While the untrained eye couldn't tell it, and his wasn't, and he couldn't, he just had to take their word for it, they were both female. From an entirely matriarchal society. They wouldn't take the translation in his hands at face value once they knew that a male had done the translating. They wanted a woman's word on it. Angel almost started to smile, but stifled the urge. There was only one female on the research staff that was adept at demon languages. He picked up the phone. "Hello, Wes. Can you send Rose up here?"

&&&&&&&

Wesley poked his head into Rose's office. "Angel wants you upstairs right away," he said urgently. "I should have thought of this myself. Varhesh demons have a practically Amazonian society. They won't take our word for anything until they hear it from another female." He did a double-take at Rose's appearance. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something about her that looked out of the ordinary.

Rose put aside the evaluations with a grateful sigh. She hated the administrative chores at least as much as her department head did. "Do you have any idea how long this is going to take, Wesley?" she asked. "I got sidetracked on my pen-hunt last night and was late. If I'm going to be tonight, I ought to let Spike know that it's a possibility."

Wesley gave it a few minutes consideration. "It depends," he answered slowly. "To be honest, Rose, I really don't know. Would you like me to call Spike and warn him that it could happen?"

"If you would," Rose answered. "I gather that the children were very upset. And even though he didn't say so, I think Spike was more than a little put out with me."

"I'll call," Wes promised. "You'd best hurry on up to Angel's office before the clients decide to go elsewhere."

&&&&&&&

Val and Den each had a wicked looking knife in their hands. They were stunned to see that all Spike had to defend himself with was a stick. It was a pretty big stick, but it was still a stick.

"You hit him high, and I'll hit him low," Val whispered to his partner.

"Will do," Den agreed. "Shall we dust him if we get the chance?"

Val smacked him on the back of the head. "We're doing this because Drusilla wants him back," he reminded his friend. "If we dust him, we'll have that crazy chick after us." He paused and forced his atrophied brain cells into some semblance of working order. "But if we can kick his ass, I don't think she'd object to that."

"You two going to stand there flirting with each other?" Spike asked. He gave his staff a negligent twirl. "Or are you going to show me what you're made of?"

It was over almost before it began, and Spike regretted that he'd even wasted his time on them. Although it wouldn't be a waste if it made any kind of impression on the brain-fried pair. One moment they were rushing him, and the next, they were flat on the mat, minus their weapons.

"You've been here almost a week now," Spike commented. "And I don't see that you've learned a bloody thing. Maybe I just ought to spare Lorne having to listen to the pair of you murdering some innocent song and give you the sack right now."

"You haven't even given us a chance yet," Den grumbled. "You put us up against guys that have been training for years and expect us to be able to take them in a couple of days. It isn't fair."

Val decided to take the more diplomatic approach. "Give us another week, Spike," he suggested. "We'll try harder, I promise. If you don't like how we look by then, we'll go without a fuss."

Spike considered. It would be a blow to his vanity to give up on them. But he really was starting to consider them as hopeless cases. And he still wasn't one hundred percent convinced that they didn't bear watching. "Well," he said, making a show of being reluctant. "I guess one more week wouldn't hurt. But you two louts had better shape up big time, or I'll boot your sorry asses out myself."

&&&&&

Rose had had to go over the material two or three times before the clients agreed to the terms. Both she and Angel gave a sigh of relief when they finally filed out of his office. They looked at the time. It was already past quitting time, and Harmony had taken off promptly.

Angel grudgingly admitted to himself that finding Rose with him a second night in a row probably would make Spike more than a little suspicious. "I guess you ought to be getting home now, Rose," he remarked quietly. But everything in his demeanor suggested that he didn't want her to go.

"Wesley was supposed to call Spike and tell him I might be late with the clients," Rose suggested hopefully. She wanted to stay with Angel, to intoxicate herself on his kisses.

Angel shook his head and gave her a sad smile. "I'd like nothing better than to have you stay," he replied. "But we can't risk it. Not unless you're ready to tell Spike about us."

Rose shook her head. "I know I'm going to have to sooner or later," she confessed. "But I'm going to have to figure out how to go about it. And I have to consider the children. This is going to be hard for them."

"It's hard for us too," Angel pointed out. He pulled her close, molding her to his body. "Especially for me," he added teasingly. He gave her a brief, time-stopping kiss. "Go home now, sweetheart. We'll get this all worked out. Eventually."


	12. Cold Comfort

62

Cold Comfort

Spike swept Rose into a bear-hug the moment she entered the apartment. A slight frown crossed his face as he caught Angel's scent all over her, but he shrugged it off. Rose would hug anybody, even his nancy-boy grandsire, at the drop of a hat. He gave her a quick kiss (and that had a hint of Angel to it as well, must've given the ponce a peck on the cheek), then turned her over to the children.

When Rose started to disentangle herself from the twins, though, Spike said, "No hurry, luv. Dinner ought to be arriving at any time now."

Rose looked away quickly. He was so sweet and thoughtful and considerate at times. Most of the time, she amended in her head. So why was she feeling so attracted to Angel? It was probably the most rational thought she'd had on the subject in the last few days, but before she could pursue it, images of Angel flashed through her mind until he was nearly all she could think about.

&&&&&

"And how was Spike acting today, my fine fellows?" Drusilla asked every night, but the answer had yet to change. It was slowly starting to sink in to her delusional little head that her allies were not, perhaps, the best of observers.

A mutual shrug. "Same as always," Val replied. "Are you sure that witch even cast the right spell?"

Drusilla nodded. "I can hear them," she said vaguely, staring off into space. "They're crying out to each other. But they're still fighting it. At least a little bit." She looked down at her new constant companion. "But that's all right, isn't it, Henrietta? Because the longer they fight it, the harder they'll fall. Right into each other's arms."

&&&&&&

Rose was turning down the covers, and was preparing to get into bed when Spike suddenly sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" Her feelings for Angel aside, she did care for Spike. He'd given her a reason to be human, children, and a whole range of emotions that she'd never had access to as a Power. Emotions that were increasingly bending towards Angel.

"Think I pulled a muscle cleaning out that demon's nest this morning," Spike muttered. "Not to worry about, pet. I'll be right as rain tomorrow. Definitely one of the pluses of being a vampire."

"Do you want me to rub it for you?" Rose didn't want to encourage his attentions, but she didn't want to see him hurting, either. Maybe he was feeling abused enough that he wouldn't want to make love to her tonight.

Spike let out a sigh and flopped face-down on the bed. "Would you, babe?" he asked. "I know you had a long day, but the bloody thing hurts like hell."

Rose straddled him and began gently working out the kinks and knots, soothing the tension. No one had taught her how, she seemed to have a natural gift for it. She poured herself into it, concentrating on the task at hand and blanking her mind to all else. When she finished with the sore shoulder, she moved on to the rest of his back. She knew that he threw himself into a fight with no reservations, and like as not hurt elsewhere as well. She kept it up until her hands were trembling with fatigue. At last she rolled off him. She was about to ask how he felt when she realized that he'd fallen asleep under her ministrations. She gently brushed the hair out of his face, thinking how much his son resembled him, especially in sleep when the cares and responsibilities weren't there for all to see. Then, she carefully pulled the covers over him and slipped between them herself, and let herself drift off to sleep too.

&&&&&&&

Angel wasn't sleeping. He was up, he was down, he was pacing the floors, turning on the t.v. only to turn it off again. He couldn't concentrate on anything, but had far too much energy to sleep. He couldn't ever remember feeling this way before. It hadn't been this way with Buffy, nor with Cordelia. He didn't have any of the niggling guilty doubts about him and Rose, as he had with the previous two. Maybe because she wasn't anything like them. Didn't fight her own battles, but waited to be rescued. That was one difference. It did have a certain appeal to his protective instincts that here was someone to protect that didn't object to being protected, as long as it wasn't overdone. What else could make it different? She wasn't any older, at least in appearance, than Buffy and Cordy, but she hadn't really been human for very long. Was it the fact that she was, or at least had been (no one was sure which way that one went, not even Rose herself), one of The Powers That Be? That this young and excitingly new woman was actually older than time itself? So knowledgeable about some subjects, but when it came to more mundane things, often quite ignorant. Or maybe it was just because she was Rose. Because she acted and smelled as sweet as her namesake and was twice as beautiful. And it made his unbeating heart ache at the thought of her being with Spike. Of her being with anyone but him.

&&&&&&&&

Rose had gone to sleep readily enough, but she woke before she'd slept an hour. Once awake, her mind was so active, if unproductively so, that returning to the arms of Morpheus was nigh well impossible. But there were other arms here. Even in sleep, Spike felt a need to be near her, in contact with her, and while he slept, he'd flung an arm around her and pulled her close to him. It seemed to be almost a reflex action on his part. And it felt.., safe.., comfortable.., familiar. She snuggled back against him in an act nearly as automatic as Spike's had been. He was her safe haven. Was that why she was feeling such an attraction to Angel? Because he was an unknown quantity? At least, compared to Spike. She'd shared everything with Spike these past few years, there were few secrets left between them. But she knew about Angel only what he cared to share, or snippets gleaned from Spike's conversations. Which were seldom about Angel. He was dark, mysterious, and exciting. Her mind went round and round in circles in this fashion for some time without coming to any particular conclusion. Except that she was falling in love with Angel. And from the way he'd been acting, he was falling in love with her as well.

&&&&&&

Spike woke in the wee hours, feeling the soft, warm shape of his beloved molded to his own body. He'd gotten so that he could hardly sleep without holding her. Much better than a teddy bear, and even more cuddlesome. Something didn't feel quite right now, though. There was a tension in her that wasn't present when she slept. He gently brushed her glorious hair aside so that he could nuzzle up against her neck, whisper in her ear.

"Something wrong, babe?" It was so soft that if she wasn't awake, it wouldn't wake her. But he didn't believe that she was asleep.

"Just a little restless," Rose admitted in a whisper. "Did I wake you, Spike? I didn't mean to, you seemed to be so tired."

Spike chuckled ever so softly. "Not that tired, luv. Caught forty winks in my office this afternoon. Wouldn't have nodded off so early if you hadn't gotten me so relaxed." He was beginning to wonder what the kids were on about. This was the Rose he knew and loved. His Rose. Never been with anyone else, never would. "Since we're both wide awake, and we can sleep in tomorrow, maybe I can.., relax you, enough to sleep." His hands began an exploratory journey over her body.

Rose gasped at the sudden onslaught of sensations and responded to them, her body seemingly having a will of its own. Part of her wanted this, oh so much. Part of her said she was being a traitor to her new-found love for Angel. And one small part of her, tucked in the very nether corners of her mind said that she never wanted to be with anyone but Spike. But those corners were getting smaller and smaller. She finally rationalized it, at least partially, by reminding herself that since Spike had no notion of what was going on, he had every right to expect her to respond to his caresses. He was the father of her children, and the man she had shared the only human life she had ever had with. He had risked his life for hers time and again. If nothing else, she owed him one last time of being together as she never had been with anyone else.

&&&&&&&

Angel had finally fallen into a fitful sleep only to waken abruptly with the sudden unwelcome conviction that Rose was making love with Spike. He had no way of knowing for sure, no way of proving it other than breaking into their apartment, which wouldn't do at all. But some way, some how, he was as sure of it as he was of the rise and fall of the tides. He threw the covers off and got out of bed, prowling around the dark apartment like a caged animal. He was angry with Rose for allowing Spike to touch her like that. He felt betrayed that she would do that when they were in love. He was jealous as all get out of Spike, taking for granted what he would willingly give his soul for. That thought brought him up a little short. His soul. The one thing that made him be in love with Rose rather than wanting to drain her life's blood. With a groan, he came to the realization that making love to Rose was the last thing he could do. Not and retain the one thing that allowed them to love each other. He resolved to set whatever departments it took to finding a way for him to be happy without losing his soul again. He'd been here all this time without even considering the possibility. With all the resources of high technology and old magic, there ought to be a way to do it. To let him love and be loved without becoming what he abhorred the most. Without becoming a monster that would drive Rose away from him rather than bring her into his arms where he wanted her to be. Without the danger of him becoming Angelus.

&&&&&&&

Spike's renewed faith in Rose's well-being wavered a bit. Tonight, her love-making seemed a bit.., artificial. The responses contrived rather than spontaneous. He began wondering again what was clouding her mind to keep the kids from reading her mind. And what was floating around behind those clouds.

&&&&&&&

Rose determinedly shut off her mind and just reacted on a physical level. Spike was a very skilled lover, and he knew how to evoke her responses. He knew her body as no one did, knew what caresses to apply when and where to make her mindless with passion. What she didn't realize was that Spike noticed that she really wasn't there. Or how much it hurt him that she wasn't.

&&&&&&

Spike, Rose and Angel were not the only people within the confines of Wolfram and Hart's glass and steel structure that were awake.

'Can you hear anything?' Ariel thought at her brother.

'Just daddy,' Alaric's frustrated reply came back. 'I still can't hear mummy.'

'I can't either,' his sister admitted. Being telepathic their emotions came through more strongly than they would in ordinary speech, and the mental overtones of both children reeked of frustration and sadness. With overtones of panic setting in.

'Has anything in that book given you any ideas?' Alaric asked, more than a little desperately.

'No,' Ariel answered. 'Are we even sure that it's the right book?'

'It has to be,' Alaric rejoined firmly. 'I think if we don't get mummy back soon, we won't have her at all. Ever.'

Ariel shuddered at the thought. The twins were having a very trying time of it, more so than anyone could guess. It was as terrifying a separation from their mother as their birth had been. But at least after they'd been born, they were still able to speak with Rose mind to mind. Now, even that comfort was denied them.

&&&&&&&

Spike renewed his efforts desperately. Everything he knew that turned her on, he did, again and again. And constantly whispered in her ear (when his mouth wasn't otherwise occupied) how much he loved her, all the tender endearments. But to no avail. Her body responded to him with alacrity, but Rose was shut off to him. It was as unsatisfying as their love-making had ever been. He felt bitter bile climb into his throat as he reflected that he could have gotten more than this if he had paid for it. At this point, he wasn't sure which of them was using the other, or if it was mutual. But whatever it was, it wasn't making love, and it wasn't the ecstasy he had come to expect with his precious, darling girl. Disappointment and anger warred within him until he wasn't sure whether he wanted to cry, or hit something. He gave Rose one final, fierce kiss and rolled off of her and curled into a miserable ball beside her.

&&&&&&

Rose was just present enough to realize that something wasn't right. She rolled over to face him, or at least, his back. "Spike, is something wrong?" She put a gentle hand on his shoulder, but he shook her off.

"Don't touch me unless you mean it," Spike bit out. "I don't know where you've been, luv. Not sure that I want to know. But I do know that you haven't been here with me."

Rose was at a loss. What he said was completely true, but how could she admit it without telling him everything? And she wasn't quite ready to do that. She didn't want to be with him anymore, but she didn't want to hurt him. And she wasn't sure how the children would take it, but she knew their reactions to the situation wouldn't be good. She felt trapped, like the weight of the entire world was resting on her slender shoulders. How could she do this without hurting anybody? But how could she not without hurting herself and Angel? The magnitude of her problem hit her square between the eyes, and with a stifled sniffle, she turned her back on Spike to weep softly into her pillow.

For the first time since they'd been together, Spike let her cry without offering her any comfort. How could he, when he had none to offer her? And where was he to find his own refuge when Rose had shut herself off from him? So quietly that she couldn't hear him, Spike shed tears into his own pillow.


	13. Discovery

67

Discovery

Drusilla stood watching the dark, silent building for some time, as was becoming her habit. Every once in a while her head would cock to one side as though she were listening to, or for, something. This went on for quite a number of hours on this night. At last, though, an unpleasant, but very self-satisfied smile crossed her face. At last there were signs of trouble in paradise.

&&&&&&

Spike woke to find himself twined around Rose as usual. It didn't seem to matter, the hurt and bitterness he'd felt towards her when he'd finally drifted off. His subconscious didn't care bugger all about that. She was his lodestone, and the one place she belonged was in his arms. He pulled her closer, enjoying her nearness.

Rose's eyelids fluttered open, and she was more than somewhat surprised to feel her body cradled against Spike's strong, lithe form. While working her way up to tell him about herself and Angel might be considerably easier if they were at odds with each other, she hadn't liked the way she'd been feeling last night. It wasn't Spike's fault that she and Angel were falling in love, yet innocent of wrongdoing though he was, he was going to suffer for it. She wanted to try and keep his suffering to a minimum.

Spike caught the faint change in respiration that said Rose had passed from sleeping to wakefulness. "Good morning, luv," he murmured in her ear. "Are you still speaking to me?"

Rose turned in his arms so she could face him. Spike thought that she was angry with him? How could he, when the fault had been entirely hers? "I thought you'd be angry with me," she admitted in a small voice. "You have every reason to..,"

"Hush," said Spike softly, laying a finger across her lips. Now that she was facing him, he could see how swollen her eyelids were. She must've cried for quite a while. "I love you," he added. "And I know that something must be bothering you for you to act that way. I just wish you'd talk to me, babe."

Before she could answer, though, he precluded any reply by taking her lips in a long, slow kiss. And for a few moments, it felt like it always had. Rose kissing him back like he was the center of her universe. And then, the cold chill crept back in, and Rose went away. He was kissing warm, willing lips, but Rose wasn't behind them.

&&&&&&&

Angel sat with his sketchpad. He couldn't have Rose, at least not now, so this was something he could have. A poor enough substitute, he had to admit, but it was the best he could do. He sat for long moments, looking like he was just staring into space, but in reality visualizing the portrait of Rose and Spike that hung on their living room wall. He started drawing what his mind's eye saw, minus Spike. And had to suppress yet another surge of jealousy that just a few short weeks ago, Rose could look that happy and that much in love with Spike. She was meant to be with him. One way or another they would find a way. A way they could be together without the risk of bringing forth Angelus.

&&&&&&

The twins were so quiet that Spike was pretty sure they were talking to each other telepathically most of the morning. Once in the company of others, even just the kids, she was acting more herself. But Spike felt like his heart was being cut out a bit at a time. Cheerful, smiling Rose, who wasn't even emotionally accessible to her nearest and dearest. He wished she would just break down and tell him what was bothering her. No doubt she thought he would think her silly or some such, and so she was letting whatever it was eat her alive. And all he could do was watch and wait for the outcome, then help pick up the pieces and hold her and let her know that no matter what, he still loved her and always would.

'Daddy's worried too,' Ariel observed. Spike had been right in that they were carrying on one of their silent conversations.

'I know.' Alaric frowned, but quickly wiped the expression off his face when Rose looked his way. 'I wish we could read some more from the book.'

'We can't while mummy is here, though,' his sister thought back at him. 'I don't like mummy like this. And daddy is so sad.'

'Daddy isn't the only one,' Alaric replied. 'I miss mummy.'

'We all do,' Ariel responded. 'Do you think we're going to find out what is wrong?'

'We have to.' Even telepathically, Alaric's 'voice' was firm with overtones of stubbornness. 'We have to find out so that daddy can fix her.'

For the first time, one of the children expressed a hint of doubt at their father's abilities. 'What if daddy can't fix her?'

&&&&&&

The whole situation with Rose was bothering Oz more than anybody could tell. He couldn't do anything about it over the weekend, though. Or could he? He had a list of names and addresses for the entire fang gang, courtesy of Rose, but with everyone's consent. He might be overstepping his bounds on this, but it was starting to get the feel of an emergency situation. He considered using the phone, but decided that the delicacy of the matter deserved a face to face meeting. He didn't know how much Spike had told the Watcher when he'd requested the loan of the book, but he must know that something was up, and he had a few years of experience, and a Watcher's training to add to the mix. He might be a better bet than a pair of untrained, although highly motivated pair of toddlers. He got into his decrepit van and headed toward Wesley's place.

&&&&&&

Rose gathered up the just delivered mail. She went through the stack slowly, reading aloud as she went. "The cable bill, a flyer for Victoria's Secret." She gave Spike a pointed look.

Spike made a grab for it. "I'll.., er.., just dispose of this, shall I, sweetheart?" he mumbled, eyes downcast.

Rose let him have it. "See that you do," she directed. "I don't want the children to see it. What else have we got here? Two more advertising flyers and a letter." She looked at the envelope closely. The last time she'd received an actual letter, it had been sent by someone up to no good. "Why this isn't ours at all," she exclaimed. "This is for Angel."

"Can we give it to him Monday morning?" Spike suggested hopefully. All right, so he really didn't have much hope on that score.

"It could be important," Rose pointed out. "Why don't I just run over there and give it to him?"

"You're going to insist, I take it?" Spike wasn't too happy about it. He wanted Rose where he could see her. Maybe if he had the time to just watch how she went through her day, he thought, then perhaps he could come a little closer to figuring out what was bothering her.

Rose smiled at him, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "It won't take long," she replied. "After all, he does live in the same building."

"Run along then, pet," Spike said. He didn't want to let his suspicions show, that might make it all the harder for her to get to the point where she felt she could tell him what was wrong. But for some reason, it was making his skin crawl, thinking of her going to see Angel.

&&&&&&

Angel was pacing the confines of his living area, in a frenzy of anticipation. How long had it been? When would she get here? And would it be her, or Spike? It had to be her. He had just turned and was striding in the direction of the door when the bell rang, and he practically ran to answer it.

Rose stood there, holding out his letter. "Be glad that Spike didn't pick up the mail," she remarked. "He might have noticed that it didn't have a postmark too." At his unspoken invitation, she entered his domain. "Why did you do it?"

Angel plucked the envelope from her fingers and tossed it aside. There was nothing in it but a blank piece of paper, anyway. "You know why I did it, Rose," he replied softly. "Because I couldn't go another hour without seeing you."

"It was a big risk," Rose pointed out. "What if Spike had been the one who had picked it up?"

"But he didn't," Angel commented. "Don't worry about the what ifs, Rose. I had to see you. Had to have you in my arms." He suited actions to words, and pulled her into his embrace. "Don't tell me that you didn't miss me too."

"You know that I did," Rose answered softly. "I want to be with you as much as you want me. But this is too risky. I should be on my way back by now. Spike and the children will wonder what's happened to me."

"They'd think it strange if you didn't stay to talk for a few minutes," Angel protested. "Don't go yet, Rose. You've barely just gotten here."

Rose was about to argue the point, but she made the mistake of looking into his eyes, and she was lost. Her arms went around his neck, her head tilted back, and her lips parted.

It was an invitation that Angel couldn't resist, any more than he'd been able to resist luring her here with the fake letter. His lips came down on hers.

And met a response that Spike would have envied. So short a time ago, it had been the response that she had given him.

&&&&&

Wesley listened carefully to Oz' narrative, and replied to it with his own, telling him about the change in stories on a case of ruined paperwork. They fell silent for a moment and just looked at each other helplessly.

"The children think the answer might be in the book of spells they asked for?" the researcher asked.

Oz nodded. "I don't know what Spike thinks about it," he admitted. "I may be out of line coming to you with it, but the kids are really worried."

"Rose's mind was the first one they read," Wes mused. "The first person they ever communicated with. I agree that it's damned odd that they suddenly can't read her. Has Spike mentioned anything about seeing a change in her behavior?"

Oz shook his head. "I don't know if he honestly believes it, or if he's just in denial," he replied. "But I can tell that whatever it is, it's starting to worry him. And the kids are so upset they aren't even acting like kids part of the time."

"They have very good instincts," Wesley muttered. "I have a few books along the same lines here. I didn't have any concrete plans for the weekend, maybe I can spend it doing a little research."

"Could you use some help?" Oz asked. He didn't want to just dump the matter in Wes' lap and then walk away.

"With all due respect, Oz," Wesley replied. "I think that you have so little experience in the matter that you could probably miss a crucial clue. Fred and I had an evening out planned. I'll just call her and see if she's interested in coming over and lending me a hand. She has had some experience with magical research."

"If you can use my help for anything," Oz responded. "Don't hesitate to call me."

"You can count on it," the Watcher assured him. "And it goes without saying, of course, that I'll inform you if I come across a promising lead."

&&&&&&

Spike was fidgeting, and trying his best not to show it. Rose had been gone over half an hour now. Even given that she'd probably stopped to talk to the ponce for a bit, she ought to have been home by now. It was starting to worry him to the point where he was getting all kinds of horrible, improbable images in his head. And that wasn't good either. It always seemed that the less you wanted the kids to know something, the more likely they were to pick up on it. He finally gave up on his internal struggle. "Come along, kids," he said. "Let's go find out what your mum has done with herself."

&&&&&&

He'd picked her up and carried her to the sofa. They were just kissing, even though they both wanted to do more. A lot more. But his self-restraint had been honed over the years. And much as he wanted her, he knew he didn't dare. Making love to Rose would definitely be that 'moment of perfect happiness' that he both dreaded and yearned for. So, for the time being, at least, he had to satisfy himself by intoxicating himself on her kisses.

&&&&&&

Spike eschewed use of the doorbell and knocked. He waited for a minute or two, then knocked again. Still no answer. If Angel hadn't been there, Rose would have come straight back home. With a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, he turned the doorknob and was both surprised and displeased to have it turn easily in his hand.

&&&&&&

"God, I love you, Rose," Angel muttered between kisses. "I feel like I've only been half alive till now."

Rose had forgotten about Spike, the children and the necessity of getting home in a timely manner. All she could seem to think about here and now. And now, Angel, the man she loved had her in his arms and was kissing her breathless.

They were so absorbed in what they were doing that they didn't hear the knocking at the door, didn't hear it open, and certainly didn't hear Spike and the children enter.

&&&&&&&

Spike heard muffled noises coming from the vicinity of the sofa. What now, he thought. The pouf tied hand and foot and someone made off with Rose again.? Moving slower than he would have liked, but hampered by having a tiny hand in each of his, he made his way around the sofa. And saw something that far surpassed his worst nightmares. If someone had told him that Rose was cheating on him, he wouldn't have believed them for a second. But seeing them there, snogging away without a bloody care.., With a choked snarl, he turned and fled the scene, leaving the twins behind. Leaving Rose behind. Leaving his heart behind.

Angel felt a tug at his sleeve that couldn't have been Rose. He reluctantly pulled his lips away from hers to look into two solemn, sad little faces. And felt his heart sink. Spike was one thing, but he deeply cared for his adopted niece and nephew.

Rose looked to see why Angel had stopped kissing her. And went deathly pale. There was only one way the children could have gotten here. But she didn't see Spike. She turned her despairing gaze to Angel, and the moment their eyes locked, the enormity and horror of what they had done came crashing down on them. And suddenly, with an almost audible snap, the spell on them was broken.

&&&&&&

Spike grabbed a bag from the closet and began stuffing his clothes into it. No time to pack neatly, screw it if it all got wrinkled. But he had to hurry. He had no doubt that Rose would be returning soon, probably with some lame excuse for her outrageous behavior. But the thing that really moved him to great speed was the thought that her new boyfriend might accompany her. If he had to face the two of them together he wouldn't be able to contain himself. He didn't know for sure what he'd do, and didn't particularly care to find out. He took off at a dead run, articles of clothing hanging out of the still open bag.

When he got to the parking garage, it didn't even occur to him to nick one of Angel's sporty little cars. He took the one he used to transport the family out of habit. It wasn't until he had actually gotten out onto the street that he realized that he didn't have a sodding clue as to where he was going. Just getting the hell gone. So he didn't have to see his Rose with Angel again. Even though the scene stayed in front of his face as if it were imprinted on his eyes.


	14. Fallout

71

Fallout

For a few excruciating minutes, Rose just stayed as she was, paralyzed by shock and horror. Then, she placed her hands on Angel's chest and started shoving at him in a frenzied effort to get him off of her.

It would have been a hopeless cause if he hadn't been all too willing to move. Both of them could remember the events and feelings from the past week, but they were at a complete loss to understand how and why it had happened.

Rose sat up and looked at the two expressionless little faces still calmly regarding them, and buried her face in her hands. What had she done? Why had she done it? And was there even the most remote possibility that Spike could ever forgive her?

&&&&&&

Spike drove around for a while, more or less at random, when he spotted a liquor store. In his current state of mind, large quantities of alcohol seemed like a very good idea. The only difficulty he had was convincing the clerk that he really did want a whole case of Jack. Spike privately suspected that it wouldn't be enough.

It did settle one question in his mind, however, and that was, where to go. Spike had never quite believed the virus story. He was betting that Lorne was on a long bender, drowning his sorrows.

Spike felt that he could use some like minded company about now.

&&&&&&

Finally, without a word, Rose stood, took her children by the hands and started towards the door.

Angel knew they had both been willing partners, but at least he didn't have a relationship that had just gotten screwed up. He felt that Rose was due some sort of apology, and he was the only one here to apologize.

"Rose, I'm..," he began.

"Don't," Rose ordered in a voice full of the tears she'd just managed not to shed. "Please, just don't say anything." She made the door, then stopped and scooped the twins up in her arms, to expedite her flight.

Alaric and Ariel wrapped their arms around their mother's neck. One problem was solved, at any rate. They could now access their mother's mind as easily as anyone else's. But now they had another problem. How were they going to get daddy back?

&&&&&&

"Forgive me for not getting up, but I don't think I can," Lorne apologized to the person who had just entered his living room. He squinted bloodshot eyes at his guest. "Spikester? What brings you to my little personal hell?"

"Joining you," Spike said shortly. He set down his burden, cracked open the first bottle and downed a sizable quantity of the contents.

Lorne's brain wasn't at its peak of performance right now, but something said that there was something very wrong about Spike being there and obviously determined to get as drunk as possible as soon as possible. He struggled into a sitting position, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. "Want to talk before you're too drunk to?" he suggested.

"I loved her," Spike muttered, looking down the neck of the bottle, as if seeking answers there. "I do love her. Don't think I'll ever be able to stop." He took another healthy swig of the whiskey. "I would never have believed that she would cheat on me. Still wouldn't if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

The Pylean's eyes nearly bugged right out of his head. "Rosebud?" he asked incredulously. "She cheated on you? I'm sorry guy, but I'm having a hard time dealing with the concept."

"Stand in line," Spike said bitterly. "And if that wasn't bad enough, of all the men in L.A., the one whose arms she has to fall into is that big, stupid, bloody wanker."

"Oh my god." Lorne was reeling from the revelations. "Rose and.., and Angel? Please tell me that you're pulling my leg."

"You don't know how much I wish I was." Spike tilted up the bottle again, feeling the whiskey burn a path down his throat. At least that was his excuse for the tears that suddenly blurred his vision.

&&&&&&&

Rose went through the rest of the day on automatic pilot. Housecleaning, tending the children. She made sure that she was busy each and every moment. Then, she didn't have so much time to think. But she didn't speak much, either. The children probably understood more than she cared for them to, but she was so sunk in self-loathing that she could barely function. If she consciously thought about things, she'd start crying and never stop.

The twins held their peace. They conversed with each other at length, and monitored their mother very carefully. They didn't entirely understand why mummy was feeling so guilty. She hadn't been herself the past few days, they knew that, even if she didn't. Maybe that was why. She didn't know what was wrong. Come to that, they didn't either. They could feel her hurting, and that made them sad. But they were happy that she was actually back with them. They were also a little confused why daddy had left. He knew that something was wrong with mummy, so why did he go away? They didn't like him being gone, and determined to get him back, somehow. After all, they'd gotten mummy back.

&&&&&&&

Lorne had started cutting way back on the booze since Spike's arrival. Somehow, Angela's betrayal of him seemed a bit trivial compared to what Spike was going through. He'd known Angela less than a week. But Spike and Rose had been together for years, now. They had kids, and could have been an advertisement for love and marriage. Spike had quit talking for the moment, but he was still putting away the painkiller like there was no tomorrow. Poor guy, he probably felt like there wasn't, not without Rose by his side. The faint flicker of an idea kindled in his alcohol-fogged brain. He didn't think he dared ask Spike to sing for him. If he just put it bluntly, Spike would probably refuse, even more bluntly, not to mention profanely. A little finesse was called for.

Spike emptied the second bottle in his stash. Definitely not sober, but not numb, not yet. He reached for another bottle. How much was it going to take to put a damper on his pain, at least for a little bit? He needed to get oblivious for a while. Then, when he started feeling a little better, he'd start thinking about ways to get Rose back. Not getting her back wasn't an option he even considered. But he was beginning to be almighty sick and tired of competing with the bloody ponce.

Lorne started singing, hoping that it would sound like he'd just started in of his own accord, and also hoping that Spike would join in. He'd run through quite a few songs in his head before he hit on one that might just do the trick. "He don't love you, like I love you..,"

Spike glared at him. "Nice try, greenjeans," he grumbled. "I don't need you taking a peek into my future right now. I know what my immediate future holds anyway. Being drunk as a bloody lord."

&&&&&&&

Angel felt a little sick. True, Spike had never been one of his favorite people. There'd always been that sense of competition between them. But he still didn't understand how he could possibly have tried to steal Rose away from him. He felt lower than he had since he'd left his existing in the gutter, living on rats days. How could he have let this happen? The only thing that could come of it was that everyone involved, including his beloved godchildren, would be hurt. He saw his sketchpad with the half-finished drawing on it, and tore it out of the pad, intending to rip it to shreds. Then, he halted himself, and sat down, filling in the details he'd deliberately left out. Putting Spike back into the picture. The question was, how were they going to get Spike back into the picture for real?

&&&&&&

Tonight, Val and Den accompanied Drusilla on her pilgrimage to Wolfram and Hart. Dru focused her concentration on the building for a moment, then started dancing with her dolly.

"It worked, Henrietta," she crowed triumphantly. "It worked. I knew it would. Spike isn't there. He's left the girlfriend."

"Does that mean we can quit our jobs?" Den asked hopefully. Val intended to give him an elbow in the ribs, but missed and jabbed him in the gut instead.

"Not just yet, impatient boy," Drusilla murmured. "We don't know where Spike has gone yet. I'm not feeling him either. I do hope he hasn't left town just yet. Henrietta would be most put out if we had to track him down."

"I don't really mind," Val said. He was finding the idea of having some cash at hand rather appealing, even with what he had to go through to get it. In some ways, it was still easier than biting someone then robbing them. Sometimes you chowed down on someone dressed in the height of yuppie fashion, only to find that they didn't carry cash.

Dru was frowning. She knew Spike, knew him as well as anybody. So why couldn't she feel where he'd gone? She shrugged it off for a moment and focused on the rest of the lover's triangle. How strange, her love spell didn't seem to be working anymore. "How could they have broken a love spell?" she asked the ever-present Henrietta. "Should we have the witch cast it again?" She held the doll up to her ear and listened. "Quite right. The spell did its job. We'll only have the witch cast it again if it looks like Spike is going to kiss and make up. With her."

&&&&&&&

Lorne was more than half sober now, which was a lot more than could be said for Spike, who was slumped down in a chair, a half-empty fifth cradled against him. Lorne had tried to remove the bottle so that Spike wouldn't spill it on himself if he shifted position, but his one attempt had nearly gotten him hit, even though Spike hadn't come to. With a sigh, he dug out a blanket and covered the passed out vampire with it.

&&&&&&

Rose finished with the dinner dishes. The twins dinner, she hadn't felt like eating, herself. Then, it was baths, and reading to the children and tucking them in for the night. All activities that she was used to sharing with Spike. She was grateful that the twins hadn't been inclined to chatter, and was so full of self-pity that it didn't even register with her that their silence was uncharacteristic. They replied when spoken to, but said little else. If she had noticed, she probably would have put entirely the wrong interpretation on it. She would have thought that they were upset with her for driving their father away. She certainly was.

And after the children were abed, and the place was still and silent. Rose climbed into the bed she was used to sharing with Spike and cried and cried until there were no more tears. She slept fitfully for a few hours, then woke up and cried some more.

&&&&&&

Oz showed up as usual on Monday morning. He, and indeed, just about everyone else had no idea what had happened. But he could tell that something was wrong the moment he showed up. For one thing, there was no sign of Spike, and the scent of him in the air was days old. No fresh scent. That was wrong. Unless the ops team had a prolonged assignment somewhere that required him to be away from home. That and the fact that Rose wouldn't look him in the eye no matter what. He shot a questioning glance at the kids, but they just shook their heads. They'd fill Oz in later. Right now, they were concerned about their parents. The one that wasn't there at all and the one that was there, but still, in some indefinable fashion, was not there. They clung to Rose when she hugged them before leaving, and silently informed her just how much they loved her.

It was all that Rose could do not to burst into tears again.

&&&&&&&

Wesley picked up the phone and put it down again. Then, he picked it up one more time and dialed the number for the senior partner's suite. "Hello, Oz. Any new developments? He what? When? Why? Oh, I guess not. No, Fred and I hit the books all weekend, still no clue as to what sort of spell would make someone's mind impervious to a telepath. I think I'm going to have to take this up with Angel."

&&&&&&

Wesley was about to walk into Angel's office when he suddenly found Harmony blocking his path. "I need to see Angel," he protested mildly.

Harmony shook her head. "Nothing doing, Wes, sorry," she replied. "The boss gave me strict orders to keep everyone out and hold all calls. He doesn't want to see or hear from anybody. He said that if I let anybody in, he'd stake me."

"I'm sure he didn't mean that literally," Wesley suggested hopefully. "It really is important, Harmony."

She still barred his path. "You didn't see the look on his face," she replied. "I did. And I think he did mean it. I've seen him all grumpy before, but nothing like this."

Wesley tried to remember if a spell could be contagious. First Rose acting atypically, and then, Angel. No, wait, that wasn't right. Angel had started acting strangely at the same time Rose had. Suddenly, it hit him right between the eyes. It would explain everything, the clouding of the mind, the irrational actions, and why Spike had left Rose. "Never mind, Harmony," he said, now in a hurry to get back to his office. "I don't think I need to talk to him now." He practically broke into a run heading back to the research department.

&&&&&&

Rose looked at her computer screen. It was just the last of the employee evaluations, it should be a snap. But somehow, she just couldn't bring herself to care whether they got done or not. She hated herself, she was trying to hate Angel. And she missed Spike more than she could say. Perhaps more than anyone could say. Since they worked in the same place, it was inevitable that she'd see him again. And even though he was quite justifiably angry with her, he loved his children. No doubt he'd want to see them. She longed for his first visit to them as much as she dreaded it. She almost wished that he would come to her office right now, even if it was to heap his anger and disgust on her for what she'd done. Anything would be preferable to being put in Coventry like this. Better than being alone again.


	15. Piece by Piece

77

Piece by Piece

Lorne slunk through the building quietly, keeping out of sight as much as possible for fear someone would speak to him, thereby causing his head to explode. His heart was aching almost as badly as his head. But this time it was in sympathy rather than self-pity. He would have been ready to swear by just about anything that he'd never seen a couple as devoted to each other as Spike and Rose. Something was terribly wrong here, and he intended to get to the bottom of it. After all, like Fred had said, they were family.

&&&&&&

Fred wasn't too surprised when Rose didn't make it to lunch. Having spent the better part of the weekend with Wesley, she knew what was going on as much as anyone. And was as curious and puzzled as anyone else as well. This was the only part of the scenario Fred really understood so far. If she'd done to Wesley what Rose had done to Spike, she'd hole up in her lab without coming up for air the rest of the century.

&&&&&

"She's here, but she's.., asleep." Alaric was attempting to clarify things for Oz.

"You can read her mind again," Oz said, as he worked his way through the explanations. "But she's turned off her feelings?"

Ariel nodded in agreement. "'Cept at night," she added sadly. "When she goes to bed she cries."

"Do you have any idea where your dad is?" Oz asked. The problem that had seemed relatively small last week, at least to him, had now taken on epic proportions.

"He's staying with Uncle Lorne," Alaric answered.

His twin blinked at him in surprise, then, her eyes unfocused for a moment as she concentrated. Suddenly, both children bolted for the door.

Oz got up and followed them and opened the door to see a rather ragged-edged looking version of Lorne.

"Thank heaven for little blessings." Lorne bent down and picked up the twins, cuddling them. Oz noticed that the Pylean was barely speaking above a whisper. "I was still trying to decide whether the doorbell or knocking would hurt more."

"Hangover?" Oz guessed. His normally quiet voice dropped too. The empath was obviously suffering and not from an attack of empathy.

"I'll mend," Lorne allowed. "I hate to be rude, Oz, but could I talk you into letting me have a private confab with the munchkins?"

&&&&&&

Spike carefully cracked his eyes open. The room was as dark as heavy drapes (which Lorne had made sure were closed) could make it, but it still seemed to be way too bright. The light hurt his eyes. He closed them again. No, that wasn't it, he was still in pain. Maybe it wasn't his eyes after all. Come to think of it, it seemed to be his entire head, which felt like it was a hell of a lot bigger than it ought to be. He felt the cool glass bottle cradled in his arm and that told him why he was in the shape he was in. He'd obviously been drinking, and drinking quite a bit. He wondered what time it was, and come to that, where he was. He couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten this drunk. Certainly not since he'd met Rose. He far preferred her to getting drunk. Then, the alcoholic amnesia passed, and everything came crashing down on him again. He tilted the bottle to his lips and started chugging the whiskey down in a manner that could have killed a human.

&&&&&&

Wesley walked into Gunn's office with his eyes still riveted on the book in his hands. "Gunn, does Wolfram and Hart keep tabs on which practitioners are capable of certain spells?"

"Once more, with clarity," Gunn suggested. "I speak American, lawyer, and a few demon languages. Watcher isn't on the list."

Wes finally looked up from his book. "Suppose I wanted a spell for a particular purpose," he explained. "Would there be a file on who in the area was able to cast that particular spell?"

Gunn shook his head. "We've got a list of the big players," he replied. "But with the Wicca craze and all, keeping track of everyone who could cast some kind of spell got to be more than even our resources could handle."

"This spell would take considerable talent and knowledge," the Watcher said. "It's a love spell, but not one of the simpler ones. A mere dabbler wouldn't be able to handle it."

"Love spell?" Gunn looked flabbergasted. "You mean there really is such a thing? I thought that was all just a crock."

"Oh, they're real enough," Wesley said darkly. "But even the best of them can be unstable and unpredictable. Disastrously so."

Gunn looked at him thoughtfully, then pulled out his keyboard. "Tell me what you're looking for, and I'll tell you if we've got it," he directed.

&&&&&

Oz had retreated a discreet distance, but he wondered why they'd even bothered, since Lorne and the twins held almost their entire conversation non-verbally. Suddenly, the twins broke out into song, and Oz felt a smile trying to emerge when they sang 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star', the much scorned 'baby song'. Lorne listened as intently as he would to anyone else, then the mental communication commenced again for a while. Finally, Lorne sighed, kissed the children and set them back down.

Oz looked at him questioningly.

Lorne shook his head. "No answers yet," he replied to the unspoken question. "Just a few more pieces to the puzzle." He reached down and ruffled the twins' hair, then a look of consternation crossed his face, and he began patting his pockets frantically. "Where did I put that candy?"

Alaric and Ariel looked at each other and put their hands behind their backs.

"No candy," Alaric said firmly.

"Daddy says we're not 'lowed," Ariel explained.

The werewolf and the demon both blinked and looked at each other.

&&&&&&&

Angel sat at his desk, sketchpad in hand, working on the drawing of Rose and Spike. He fixed and fussed and altered, trying to make it perfect. It was almost like it was some kind of penance for him. Remembering those deliriously happy moments with Rose and then drawing things as they should be, having the reminder staring him in the face. That Rose belonged with Spike. He wondered vaguely how Rose was coping with the situation, but the fact that he couldn't bear the thought of facing her just yet kept him from finding out.

&&&&&&

Rose was doing exactly what Alaric and Ariel had told Oz she was doing. Functioning, but with all emotions turned off. An efficient automaton. The keys on her keyboard clicked in an almost hypnotic rhythm as she filled out the forms and made the evaluations. Sometimes she stopped in the middle of a sentence and looked up with an expression on her face that suggested she was wondering why she was even going through the motions. Then, her eyes turned toward the pictures that were on her desk. One was of the children. That was the one she allowed her eyes to rest on. Why she was holding it together, no matter how tenuously. Because her children needed her. The other picture she took great pains to avert her gaze from. The picture of the entire, happy, smiling family. One look at that would be all she needed to send her over the edge.

&&&&&&&

Lorne tried the door, and frowned. He'd never known Rose to lock her office door during working hours before. He knocked gently, and the sound went through his head like a knife. After a minute or two with no answer, he was trying to gear himself up to do it again when the door opened a crack, just enough for him to see a pair of dark-rimmed, bloodshot, gray eyes. The door opened fully.

Lorne stepped inside, and Rose closed the door behind him. He debated how to start. When Spike had first shown up, he'd been ready to chew his favorite songbird up one side and down the other. But now, with a few bits and pieces of information, and the fact that Rose looked so forlorn, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He could tell that she was missing Spike terribly, he didn't need her to sing for him to know that. And it was probably eating away at her that she didn't even know where he was. Well, Spike hadn't said anything about him not telling her, and telling her wasn't offering an open invitation. It was just giving her one little scrap to ease a small portion of her suffering. "He's at my place, sugarplum," he said softly.

Rose looked at Lorne for a long moment, then turned away, battling the fresh onslaught of tears. If she worked really hard at it, she could keep them under control until she crawled into her lonely, overly large bed. Funny, the bed hadn't felt like it was too big when Spike had been sharing it with her. "Did he tell you?" she asked in a hard, tight voice, that barely managed not to squeak.

Lorne nodded, then realized that with her back to him, she couldn't see it. "He did," he admitted. The pain was coming off her in waves, every bit as bad as Spike. What had happened to the two of them? And was it repairable? "Sing for me, doll-baby," he suggested gently. When the twins had sung for him, all he'd gotten was an image of a dark haired female. One tiny piece of the puzzle. He needed more to build a coherent picture.

"I can't," Rose choked out. Her self-control was faltering now, and she was losing the battle against the tears.

Lorne wanted to comfort her, but he knew that the only thing that would really help would be the mending of the rift between her and the love of her life, and he couldn't do that by himself. He wasn't sure it could even be done. "Would you like to send him a message?" he asked.

Rose sniffled and grabbed a tissue and swiped at her eyes and blew her nose. "Tell him that the children are well, but that they miss him," she mumbled.

"Don't you want to send him anything from you, blossom?" Lorne queried, surprised that she hadn't immediately done so.

Rose shook her head sadly. "The one thing I want to tell him is the one thing he'll never believe," she replied miserably. "He probably hates me now, and I can't really say that I blame him, because I do too."

&&&&&&&

"Got three hits," Gunn said. He printed out the addresses. "Am I just the do-it guy, or am I allowed to ask what in hell is going on and why someone who can cast a love spell is so important?"

Wesley looked a little chagrined. He'd been in the center of things, almost, and it hadn't occurred to him that Gunn didn't have a clue as to what was going on. "It began with the change in stories I told you about, and ever since then Rose and Angel have been acting a little.., odd," he began. "Evidently Spike caught them in a compromising position, how compromising, I don't know, and don't wish to. But the upshot is that Spike has left Rose. And in light of everything that's happened, I think that a love spell is the only reasonable explanation."

Gunn was glad that he was already sitting down, because that way, he didn't have to worry about whether or not he'd hit the chair when his knees gave out. "Spike left Rose?" he repeated incredulously. "Spike, who thinks the sun sets on her, left her?"

"I don't find that nearly so extraordinary as the fact that Rose would even look at another man in a romantic context," Wes replied. "I knew that they were both acting a bit out of character, but I didn't look into it at the time. Maybe if I had, I could have prevented it."

"Wes, you can't take responsibility for everything that goes wrong," Gunn reminded him. "And the chances are good that without more of a clue, you wouldn't have hit the right thing in time anyway." He stared off into space for a moment, still having trouble dealing with the concept. "Blondie Bear left Rose?"

&&&&&&

Lorne strode up to Angel's office door. The headache seemed to be abating somewhat. That, he suspected would be a very temporary thing. He was sure it would come back upon him in all its glory when Angel started to sing. And Lorne fully intended to camp out in his office until the boss man did sing.

Harmony jumped up to block his path, as she had done with Wesley. "You can't go in there, Lorne," she warned. "He told me to keep everyone out."

"Harmonica, baby, I love you to death," Lorne said. "But if you don't get out of my way, I'm going to cold-cock you. This is serious stuff, and the big guy is right in the middle of it."

"Lorne," Harmony pleaded. "He said he'd stake me if I let anyone in."

"I'll deal with him, sugarpie," Lorne promised. He looked at the time and was mildly surprised to find that it was only eleven o'clock. He felt like he'd put in a full day's work already. "Why don't you toddle off to an early lunch? Then, if he asks, you can say that you didn't see me go into his office."

Harmony took a minute to work it out. "Make sure I'm gone before you go in," she said sternly. She kept her eyes glued on him while she retrieved her purse from under her desk and started away. Lorne stood and watched her go and made sure that she was completely out of sight before he tried the door.

And found that it was locked just as Rose's had been. Evidently Angel hadn't trusted Harmony to be able to keep everyone out and had taken steps on his own.

Lorne hammered on the door with his fist, wincing at the pain in his hand, which rivaled the pain in his head. He figured he could keep this up all day, and if Angel didn't want to open the door, he wouldn't. He tried another tack.

"I know you're in there, Angelcakes," he shouted through the keyhole. "If you don't let me in, I'll tell security that I think something's wrong and have them break the door down."

The door swung open to reveal a stony-faced Angel. He glared at Lorne, although if the truth be told, he was angrier with himself than he could possibly be with anyone else now. He stood aside and motioned the empath inside and shut the door behind him.

&&&&&&

It was a small store front on a side street whose sign proclaimed it to be a fortune-teller's establishment. Wesley looked at it questioningly, then at the address on the sheet of paper in his hand, and went in.


	16. Unraveling the Threads

82

Unraveling the Threads

"I'm not singing," Angel stated flatly. Aside from the obvious, he didn't really want to know why he'd just destroyed the closest thing he had to a real family.

"I beg to differ, Angeleyes." Lorne leaned back against the door and folded his arms across his chest. "Because this little green demon isn't budging an inch till you do."

"Don't you think you're shutting the barn door after the horse has run off?" Angel asked pointedly. "The damage is already done. Rose is left with the kids, and Spike is..,"

"At my place," Lorne interrupted. "He didn't go far, and I don't think he will. For the moppets if not for her."

"I hadn't thought of that," Angel admitted. He hadn't taken the twins into consideration. He hadn't taken a lot of things into consideration before he'd gone and ruined the lives of people he cared..,

"Stop that," Lorne ordered, breaking in on his train of thought. "Something's going on here. Something that pushed you and the blossom into each other's arms."

Angel just looked at him. The idea sounded too tempting to be true. An outside force rather than inner desires goading them into the contact. He shook his head. Too easy, too good to be true.

"Listen," Lorne snapped, out of patience. "I've spent the past week feeling sorry for myself. And you know what, big guy? The only thing it buys you is one hellacious hangover. So quit brooding and start singing."

&&&&&&

Spike hadn't completely drunk himself oblivious yet, and for some reason, he felt a compulsion to pull out his wallet. Started flipping through the pictures. Watching his beautiful children grow from infants to the energetic toddlers they were now. He had a wrenching feeling in the center of his chest. Hadn't been away from the kids this long since they'd been born. No matter what happened between him and Rose, they were still his kids. He was starting to reach the maudlin stage of drunk.., again. And when he got to the picture of him and Rose together, he flung his bottle across the room, unwittingly smashing not only it, but also the picture tube of Lorne's t.v. He stared at the picture for the longest time. He'd taught her how to be human, taught her about emotions, taught her about love. All so she could take it and give it to Angel. He didn't even notice that his face was wet with tears.

&&&&&&&

"Do you recognize this woman?" Wesley cut right to the chase, holding out a print-out of a picture of Drusilla from one of his sourcebooks.

The 'gypsy', paled, and shook her head vigorously. "No," she muttered, perspiration breaking out on her forehead. "I haven't seen her. What makes you think that I'd still be alive after seeing a vampire?"

"I didn't say she was a vampire," Wesley pointed out. "Although as a matter of fact, she is. And since you can't tell from the picture, I can only assume that it's because you have met Drusilla."

"No." The fortune-teller was even more emphatic. "I've never seen her. Never. Please leave."

"She threatened you, didn't she?" Wesley guessed. It really wasn't that much of a stretch. "I can grant you protection, a safe place to stay until she's been dealt with. But I need your help."

"She has the sight," the witch hissed in desperation. "She'll know if I'm helping you. She's crazy."

"I know," Wes replied calmly. "And since you've already spoken to me, how do you think you're going to be able to convince her that you haven't told me what I want to know?"

The seer's eyes widened in horror. Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. "What will you do to me if I don't help you?" she asked fearfully.

"Not a thing," the Watcher announced serenely. "But then again, I won't have to. Once Drusilla decides that you're more of a liability than an asset, you'll get your just deserts anyway. Why should I bother?"

"You really can protect me from her?" The terror came off the woman in palpable waves that even a human could feel.

"I wouldn't have offered if I couldn't deliver," Wesley promised. "I want you to gather together everything you used for your spell, and the spell itself. Then, I'll take you to the safe place and you can tell me everything."

She was already up and stuffing things into a dilapidated carpet bag. "Anything you want to know," she babbled. "All the spells, all the secrets, anything."

"Just make sure that you do," Wes warned. "Or else I'll turn you out onto the street for Drusilla to find. Your spell has done a great deal of damage, and you're going to help me find a way to undo it."

&&&&&&

Fred was just about finished with her solitary lunch when Harmony joined her, and plopped down into Rose's seat.

"Okay, give," she demanded. "I want to know what's going on that's making everyone so crazy."

Fred stared at her in goggle-eyed surprise. She knew they'd been pretty discreet, and it had happened over the weekend. Nevertheless, she was surprised that the grapevine hadn't produced an ocean of speculations. "You've got to promise me that you'll keep this to yourself, Harmony," she cautioned. "It obviously hasn't gotten around yet, and it would probably be best if it didn't."

"You think?" Harmony asked sarcastically. "I can tell it hasn't gotten around, the gossip usually does make it to me eventually. But I think I'm going to die if I don't find out why Rose isn't talking to anyone and why the boss has himself locked in his office. And why Lorne looked ready to break down the door to see him."

"Lorne's here?" That was news to Fred. As far as she knew, he hadn't made it back to work yet.

Harmony nodded. "And either he was very, very sick last week, or you really should have let me slap that bitch around. He looks terrible. I think he's been drinking. Actually, I know he's been drinking. A human could smell it on him."

"Poor Lorne," Fred murmured sympathetically. "I'm starting to think there's some kind of curse on this whole place. It seems like everyone is getting their hearts broken."

"Everyone as in Lorne and who else?" Harmony inquired. "C'mon, Fred. Dish."

&&&&&&&

"You've got to eat something," Oz said firmly. "Your bodies are busy growing, they need the energy."

"We're not hungry, Oz," Ariel said mournfully. They'd spent most of the morning reading the spell book, and still nothing had struck a chord.

If Ariel was sad, though, her brother was angry. Since he was on his sister's side, he couldn't take it out on her, so he lashed out at the only other person available. "Don't boss us, Oz," he growled. "You're not our daddy."

"I'm not trying to be," Oz replied calmly. "But it is my job to take care of you. And to be fair, it does involve a certain amount of 'bossing'. So, here's the deal. Either you sit down and eat some lunch, or you can go straight to your nap. Your call."

Ariel looked aghast, but Alaric was still defiant. "Won't go," he declared, bottom lip stuck out. "You can't make me."

Oz sighed. He knew the kids were going through an emotionally traumatic experience, but as he'd pointed out, they were at a stage when their little bodies were in an almost constant state of growth. They couldn't afford to skip the occasional meal the way an adult could. "Fine," Oz replied. He picked up one child under each arm and started carrying them towards their room.

"Wait," Ariel squealed. "I'll eat my lunch, Oz."

Alaric glared at his sister for turning traitor on him, and at Oz for just being so much bigger than they were that he was able to impose his will on them. "Okay," he muttered sullenly. "Put me down. I'll eat the bloody lunch."

Oz was too relieved to scold him for swearing.

&&&&&&

Rose looked at the clock again. Was this how the rest of her life, however long, was going to be? The day seemed like it had lasted forever. She wasn't sure what was worse, sitting here in her office, feeling like she was in solitary confinement, or going home to the reproachful looks she imagined the children were giving her, then spending nights that lasted an eternity, alone in a bed that was meant for two.

She gritted her teeth and got back to work. She had to do this. She still had responsibilities. She had to take care of her babies. Somehow, it suddenly seemed like a lot bigger job than it had before. Less of a joy, and more of a chore. She still loved her children, but the duties seemed to weigh more heavily on her now that they were hers alone. Ever since she had ruined everything. But she deserved it, she thought. She deserved it all. The looks the twins gave her, the feeling of the weight of the world on her shoulders, even the piercing, unending pain in her heart. The words on her computer monitor started to blur, as the barriers she'd built around her emotions began to erode. How could she have done what she'd done? How could she do such a thing to Spike? And why hadn't the others told her just how painful it could be, being human? Or explain just what pain was, sensation, like emotions had been unknown to her. If she had only known...,

"I would have done it anyway," she whispered through the tears. "I would have done it. For Spike."

&&&&&&

Focus on the images, thought Lorne, try not to hear all the sour notes, the way he's abusing the music, just focus on the images.

"'No pipe did hum, no battle drum did sound its dread tattoo. But the Angelus bells o'er the Liffey's swells rang out in the foggy dew'." Angel stopped and looked expectantly at the empath. "Was that enough?"

Lorne rubbed his throbbing head, right between the horns. "I think so," he muttered. "All I'm getting from anyone so far is bits and pieces. A little from you, a little from the munchkins. Spike won't sing, and Rose can't. It might help if I had some idea who that dark haired woman I saw during the kid's reading was."

Angel had completely forgotten that Lorne had missed out on that particular piece of excitement. "Drusilla? You saw Dru when you read the kids?"

"Who is Drusilla?" Lorne asked cautiously. "Because I gotta tell ya, I saw her in your reading too. And this is going to sound really weird, but I could swear that she was holding a doll."

"That's Dru," Angel confirmed. "And she was. She's crazy, completely and totally insane."

Lorne went a slightly paler shade of green. "You still haven't told me how you know who she is," he remarked. "Or how you know so much about her."

"I'm the one who drove her crazy," Angel replied. "Or rather, Angelus did, if you want to be picky. And then I turned her, and she turned Spike. They were lovers for over a century. She showed up in town last weekend. She wants Spike back."

Lorne had been trying to resist the siren call of the bar, but that last little bit of information had been just one bit too much. He started to pour out a moderate amount, strictly for medicinal purposes, then thought, to hell with it. Screw the hair, he'd take the whole damn dog. He had the glass half-way to his mouth, when a hand covered it.

"No," Angel said firmly. "I think we're both done wallowing in it, Lorne. Now it's time to get some answers. And try to straighten this mess out."

Lorne sighed and gave the drink a last, loving look before relinquishing it. "Okay," he said. "So, what's the plan of action?"

&&&&&&

It had taken Rose a while to regain her composure, and get her mask back in place, but she had done it. Back to work then. She focused on the task at hand with single-minded concentration, and didn't even notice the door to the office open.

She almost jumped completely out of her chair when the gold pen that had caused so much trouble landed in the middle of her desk.

"I believe that belongs to you, doesn't it, Rose?" Wesley asked. He had a strangely dressed woman with him that Rose had never seen before.

"You know it does, Wesley," Rose replied. After all the troubles it had inadvertently caused, she wasn't sure she wanted it back now. "You're the one that bought it for me. Where did you find it?"

"That is a rather long story," he replied. "And there are still a few more things I need to find out first. But we're going to get this mess solved, Rose. I promise." He took another look at her and noticed the tear-streaks on her face. "I promise," he repeated.

"Which mess?" Rose asked in confusion. "Drusilla? Or what happened with..," She suddenly seemed to lose her voice. Right now, she couldn't even bring herself to speak Angel's name.

"All of it," Wes replied. "It's all part of the whole, Rose." He saw from the expression on her face that she couldn't quite let herself believe him. Poor girl, he thought. She was having a rough time of it. He'd like to send Fred to spend the night with her, just to keep her company, but he was going to be putting her in charge of tending to the witch. But he didn't like the thought of Rose all alone with no one but the children for company. She needed someone to help her through this until they could get everything settled. He picked up her phone. "Harmony? Do you think you could spend the night with Rose and the children? Yes, she could use a hand right now. Yes, I did know that, but perhaps you'd better not talk about it. Because." His voice took on an exasperated edge. "It upsets her. I am not yelling, Harmony. Do you think you can handle it, or should I just find someone else? Thank you." He hung up, and turned back to Rose. "Harmony will stay with you tonight, Rose. I don't think you should be alone." When he saw that she was about to protest, he added. "Alone with no one but the children."

"I can take care of my babies," Rose said. It was meant defiantly, but it didn't make it out sounding that way.

"You can hardly take care of yourself now," Wesley said softly. "Let your friends help you, Rose. That's what we're here for."

&&&&&&

As the sun began to set, things started becoming clearer, sharper. "So that's why I couldn't find him," Drusilla murmured. "Poor Spike has been drinking, Henrietta. My darling boy is all broken-hearted." She straightened her dress, then did the same for her doll. "Let's go find him and kiss it and make it all better."


	17. Decisions

84

Decisions

Spike stood under the icy spray of the shower, teeth chattering. But he made no move to adjust the temperature of the water. He was trying to get sobered up. He fully planned on going to work the next day. And, if Rose would allow it, and she'd bloody well better, visiting with the kids after. And it wouldn't do to go see his little ones smelling like a distillery. He still didn't have a clue how they were going to get this whole mess straightened out, but somehow, they were going to. He had reached a point where he simply couldn't envision spending the rest of his life without Rose. But even if that rift couldn't be mended he sure as hell wasn't turning his back on his kids.

&&&&&&

"That wicked old sun just takes so long to set, doesn't it, Henrietta?" Drusilla asked her dolly. "I wonder if we could find a spell to make it set faster. I want to go find my naughty boy before he gets ideas about running back to the girlfriend. If the nasty girl hadn't managed to break my love spell, that wouldn't be a worry." She cuddled the doll against her ear. "Tell me Henrietta, how do we get the children too? The lovely little children. Then, we can all be a happy family together."

&&&&&

"You really don't have to stay, Harmony," Rose said weakly. "I know what Wesley said, but I'm fine, really, I am."

Harmony looked at her and rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, you look it too," she remarked sarcastically. "I love the dark circles under your eyes. How do I get some of my own, because I think you're really going to start a fashion trend there." She looked at Rose more closely. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Lunchtime," Rose fibbed. It was easier than getting into an argument. She was beginning to see why some people did so much of it. And, she had actually ingested something at lunchtime, but she didn't think Harmony would count antacids and aspirins as eating.

"Uh-huh." Harmony didn't look convinced. "Are you up to fixing dinner? Or should we order out? I'd fix it myself, but I kind of flunked out of home ec. after I set the classroom on fire."

Rose got a little distracted away from the main question. "What were you doing that you managed to set fire to the classroom?" she asked.

Harmony shrugged. "Boiling water." She turned towards the twins. "How would you guys like pizza for dinner?" she asked, before Rose had a chance to protest.

&&&&&&

"I suppose that you want me to break the spell," the witch said. Her nerves seemed to have improved considerably since their arrival at the law firm.

"Not necessary," Wesley replied. "The spell has already been broken. And I must say that I am impressed by your expertise. A simple love spell would never have worked with the two of them."

She ducked her head to hide a modest blush. "The gift has run in my family for many generations," she mumbled. "But if you don't need me to break the spell, then why did you insist I bring everything?"

"For one thing to make well and sure that there are no lingering aftereffects," Wesley answered. "And for another, so that they aren't just sitting there where Drusilla could find them if she took the notion to try to re-cast it herself." He looked at his guest severely. "I hope you know that your spell has quite possibly ruined several people's lives. I expect you to do your best to help me rectify the situation."

"I tried to give her a harmless potion," the 'gypsy' informed him. "But she saw that it was nothing but colored water."

Wesley felt a faint tinge of compassion. She really couldn't have been expected to stand up to Drusilla. Not and live to talk about it afterwards. But in the main, he felt rather less than sympathetic towards someone who had done so much damage to people he cared about. "If you need anything else, just ask me," he said. "And should you meet any of the staff, I would suggest you don't tell them what you've done. Or you'll have quite a number of people about who would probably be more than happy to hand you over to Drusilla."

&&&&&&

Lorne tiptoed back into his home, trying to move quietly lest Spike was still asleep, or at least, badly hung over. The last thing he expected to see was Spike, sober and well-groomed, sitting and talking on the phone.

"Aunt Harm says the pizza's there and you've got to go wash up for dinner?" Spike asked, with a hint of sad laughter at the thought of how Rose would take the idea. "I love you both. You're sure your mum said it's all right for me to come visit tomorrow night? Good-bye. I'll see you tomorrow then." He hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, looking, if not content, then considerably more at peace with himself than he had been since the whole situation had blown up in his face.

"Dinner is served," Lorne said, handing Spike the supplies that he'd gotten Harmony to procure for him before she'd gone to stay with Rose. He probably could have gotten some from Angel, but right now, he didn't think Spike would appreciate owing Angel any kind of favor, so he'd made sure he could say he hadn't gotten it from him and be completely truthful about it.

"Thank God," Spike said, with feeling. "If I had gotten much hungrier, I think I would have started wondering what your blood tastes like."

"The thought had occurred," Lorne replied. "Not meaning to have been eavesdropping or anything, but did I hear you say that you're going to go see the munchkins tomorrow?"

Spike nodded. "Soon's I get off work," he agreed. "I've never been away from them this long since they've been born. Thinking about that is what made me decide to get sobered up. If it wasn't for them, I'd have probably gone on a bender that made what you did look like a weekend toot."

"Did you talk to Rose?" Lorne wasn't sure what answer he wanted to hear on that score.

"Just to ask to talk to the kids," Spike answered. "I don't think I'm ready to really talk to her yet." He gave a bitter laugh. "Even vampires need some time to heal." He pulled out a bag of blood and bit into it without ceremony, without worrying about warming it up. Lorne watched, fascinated, while he managed to guzzle it down without spilling so much as a drop.

"I talked to her this morning," Lorne offered hesitantly. He wasn't sure if Spike would want to hear about it or not, so he gave him the opportunity to cut him off at the pass.

"Do tell," Spike said unenthusiastically. Part of him was crying out to hear everything Lorne had to say on the subject, to glean whatever he could about her. The other part was afraid to hear that she was deliriously happy with Angel.

"I don't think she's been getting any sleep," Lorne remarked, then winced, realizing that it could have been put a lot better.

"I bet not," Spike snarled bitterly. "Ponce keeping her up all night? Want to give me the rest of the details of her love-life?"

"I don't think she's seen Angel since.., the other day," Lorne replied. "Poor baby, the dark circles are almost so big she looks like she's sporting a pair of shiners."

"She switches off to me and then on to him and now you're telling me that..," Spike started in, with an equal measure of anger and incredulousness.

"The kids told me that they hear her crying at night," Lorne informed him. "They can read her mind again, but she's shut herself off. Except at night, when she's all alone."

Spike felt a distinct pang, a tug at his heartstrings at hearing that Rose was suffering as badly as he was. But he wasn't sure he was ready to set himself up to take another fall. It was a hell of a long trip down. Time for a change of subject. "Sorry about the telly, Lorne. I had a little accident, and the bottle slipped out of my hand. I'll buy you a new one."

&&&&&&

Rose was dying to ask the children about Spike, but somehow just couldn't bring herself to pump them for information. She hadn't even protested Harmony ordering out for pizza. But she found it profoundly unappealing tonight. She wasn't sure that anything would be. She picked at the food in front of her, and pulled up a memory of Spike telling her..,

"That won't heal if you keep picking at it, mummy," Ariel said. The little imp must have pulled it right out of her head.

Rose looked at the children questioningly. If they were keeping that close a watch on her thoughts, they must know what was on her mind, what she wanted to know. What she needed to know.

Alaric shook his head. "Daddy didn't talk about you," he informed her. He suddenly got a stern look on his little face. "Eat your dinner or you have to go straight to bed."

Ariel giggled, and even Rose managed a wan smile. She forced down a bite of pizza. She reminded herself that she did still have responsibilities, one more time. She hadn't eaten since breakfast that terrible morning, goodness, was it only a few days ago? It seemed like forever. But now she was reminded that she had to take care of herself so that she could take care of her children. That was something else Spike had told her. Would she ever get past the point where every little thing that happened to her reminded her of Spike?

&&&&&&&

Spike stretched his legs out in front of him, and regarded them thoughtfully, as if it was the first time he had ever seen them. Then, he stood. "Think I'll just take a little stroll before turning in," he announced. "Been sitting here all day. If I don't get a little exercise, I'll never be able to fall asleep tonight."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Lorne asked anxiously. "I got filled in on the whole Drusilla thing today, guy and..,"

"Dru ain't gonna hurt me," Spike drawled. "If you got the whole story, then you know that she just wants to pick up where she left off. Which isn't happening. I'm a big, grown-up vampire, Lorne. I can take care of myself."

Lorne privately thought the jury was still out on that one, but he had nothing to gain by arguing. And when push came to shove, he really couldn't stop Spike. He tossed Spike his keys. "I'm turning in myself," he said. "Don't be too late."

&&&&&&

"They're nice little, closet sized cells," Angel remarked. "Life support hook-up and everything. You'd never have to leave. And if I put you in one, you wouldn't. Ever."

"Why are you doing this?" Ethan asked a little desperately. "You've got me where you want me. Why the mental games?"

"I'm in a bad mood right now," Angel snapped. "And making you sweat helps work some of it off. Not much, but some."

"So you're tormenting me just to make yourself feel better?" Ethan inquired bitterly. "That's just wonderful. I thought you were supposed to be one of the goody two shoes. I didn't think you lot went in for that sort of thing."

"How would you know?" Angel asked pointedly. "You could also consider it a friendly warning. Because the more I think about it, the better I like the idea. I've never been sure about sending you off to England. Too easy for you to figure out a way to escape."

"You'd just lock me in a little box and forget about me?" Ethan was starting to sound a little desperate. "Alone? Forever? With no company?"

"Oh, you'd have company," Angel assured him. "Right next door, there's a sweetheart of a guy. He was into all sorts of things. Murders, mutilations, and shoving people into hell to keep himself out."

Ethan's eyes grew round and wide. "When you say next door," he said cautiously. "You don't mean that he'd have.., access to me, do you?"

"I might be persuaded to put in something to let the two of you communicate with each other," Angel allowed. "But count your blessings that I have no intention whatsoever of letting Pavayne out of his box. And if you go in one, you won't be coming out either."

&&&&&&

"Rose, they're never going to get to sleep if you keep looking in on them every five minutes," Harmony said in a loud whisper. "You need some rest too. Have you slept at all since Spike left? Oops." Harmony covered her mouth with both hands. She'd forgotten she wasn't supposed to talk about the subject unless Rose herself brought it up.

"It's all right, Harmony," Rose said softly, still not taking her eyes off the children. "I can't run away from it, the fact is staring me in the face at every turn. I guess I need to learn to deal with it. To accept the fact that Spike is gone. And that he probably won't be coming back. And that I completely deserve it." Her voice started to waver.

Harmony put an arm around Rose's shoulders and tugged her away from the door to the twin's room. "You don't mean that," she scolded gently.

"I do," Rose mumbled, fighting back the tears. "I did an awful thing to Spike. If he hates me forever and never forgives me, I'll understand. Because I can't forgive me either." Tears started trickling down her cheeks despite her best efforts. "I miss him so much, Harmony. How could I have been so stupid? How could I even begin to think that I was falling in love with Angel when the only one I ever really loved was Spike? I still do love him. I always will."

"I'm betting that Spikey still loves you too, Rose," Harmony replied, patting Rose on the back and handing her a tissue. "And the way Wes and Lorne have been running around, they're going to figure out how this happened."

"Is how it happened really important now?" Rose sniffled. "The fact is, it did happen. And I don't think I'll ever hear Spike tell me he loves me ever again." Then, she began to cry in earnest.

&&&&&&

"Twinkle twinkle little star," Drusilla chanted. "Can you tell us where Spike is?" She stopped and listened intently for a few moments, hand cupped over her ear. "He's out and about, is he? Let's go find him, Henrietta."


	18. Falling for You

94

Falling for You

Spike wasn't taking a stroll, or even so much as a jog or a run. More like using the city streets as an obstacle course. Vaulting over cars, running at telephone poles and grabbing them to change direction without losing momentum. Sprinting across a small bridge on the railings quicker than a human could have crossed it in a more conventional manner.

He moved and acted like someone who was trying to work themselves into complete exhaustion.

He was.

He wasn't going to be sleeping with his pal Jack tonight, so the only way he was going to be able to get to sleep was to simply burn off the energy until he was too tired to see straight.

He had an awful lot of energy to burn.

&&&&&&&

"Look at him play, Henrietta," Drusilla whispered. "Isn't he quite the most handsome boy you've seen?" She glided on a few yards to keep Spike in sight. It wasn't as difficult as it might seem, since Spike wasn't flat out running, but making all sorts of detours as he ran his obstacle course. Drusilla didn't approach him, yet, but she did keep him under close observation. And she didn't like something she was seeing.

"So that's why my darling's working in that awful place and living with the sweet little girl," she said sadly. "Poor, poor Spike. Someone's gone and given him a soul."

Henrietta stared at Drusilla with unblinking doll eyes.

"What was that, Henrietta?" Dru's attention was divided between Spike and the doll. "A spell? Do you think the witch could cast a spell to get rid of that stuffy old soul and get our Spike back?" She watched as Spike went over another car, doing a handspring on the way, hands barely making contact with the vehicle's roof, before continuing on. "Yes, I believe you're right," Drusilla mused. "We must talk to the witch about his soul. How very embarrassing."

&&&&&&

"Rose, you look like hell." Gunn was so startled at the sight of her, he forgot his manners.

"I know," Rose replied wearily, pushing the ever-present lock of hair out of her face. "And do you know what, Charles? I'm not entirely sure that I care. I feel like I am in hell."

Gunn laid a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, but Rose forestalled any comments he may have had to make.

"Please, Charles, don't say anything," she pleaded. "Especially not any sympathy. Not only do I not deserve it, but it's all I can do to hold it together now. If you showed that you felt sorry for me, I'd go to pieces."

Gunn removed his hand, slowly, carefully. "Come with me, Rose," he ordered softly. "No sympathy, no remarks, but there's something you might want to see."

Rose followed him along obediently, curious as to what he was up to. And her curiosity shot through the roof when he led her to the main security station.

"Hello, Mr. Gunn," the agent on duty greeted him. "What can I do for you today?"

"Ops on camera, Patterson?" Gunn asked.

"The whole building is, sir," Patterson replied. "Except for Mr. Angel's penthouse, and of course, the senior partner's suite."

"Ops will do," Gunn said. "Let's see what's going on."

Patterson obligingly brought up the appropriate camera. "You ought to see those two new guys," he remarked. "For vampires, they sure suck at fighting. I almost let myself get distracted sometimes just watching those two eight-balls."

Rose knew what Gunn was up to now, but look as hard as she might, she couldn't see Spike.

Gunn didn't see him either. "Try the office," he suggested.

The guard clicked a few more keys, and there was Spike's office. Pictures of and by the children. Desk in disarray, and then, in walked Spike.

Rose watched him, memorizing the picture, catching every nuance of movement.

"Rose?" Gunn nudged her. "Spike may not have to breathe, but you do. So why don't you?"

Rose realized that she had begun to feel a little giddy, and she exhaled gustily. Her eyes still hadn't left the screen.

Gunn was arriving at the conclusion that he wasn't going to hear from her as long as her Blondie Bear was in view. She could watch him without any painful confrontations. He didn't know if this was a good thing or not, but right now, it was the best he could do for her. He looked at his watch. "Might as well call it lunch," he remarked to anyone who might be listening. He turned back to the guard. "I'll make sure her department head knows that she's here, but if you could give her a nudge when her lunch break is over, I'd appreciate it."

"Sure thing, Mr. Gunn," Patterson said cheerfully. He glanced at Rose, still riveted to the image of her beloved, then shook his head. One of the reasons he was still a bachelor and intended to stay that way.

&&&&&&&

"She is on a major guilt trip," Harmony told Fred. "She thinks that everything that happened is all her fault. Like she just jumped on the boss and took advantage of him."

Fred shook her head sadly. "Angel is just as bad," she replied. "And they've been avoiding each other like the plague. I hope that whatever Wes is getting from that witch will help patch things up between them."

"I don't understand why Spike is being such a jerk," Harmony said in disgust. "Couldn't he tell that something was wrong with her? We all noticed."

"I'm sure he did," Fred conceded. "But knowing things with your head and knowing them with your heart are two different things. Maybe Spike will even figure that out on his own. If you look at things from his point of view, though, you got to admit, it probably looked pretty bad. I doubt that he was doing much thinking at the time. It's a lucky thing he didn't start a major fight right there."

"You're too nice, Fred," Harmony retorted. "Spikey needs a swift kick in the seat of his pants. Rose is a mess, and it's all because he isn't there for her."

"I think it's a little more complicated than that," Fred pointed out. "At the moment, though, I think I'd like to give them all a kick in the pants. And I would too, if I thought it would help straighten this mess out."

&&&&&&

Lunchtime by the clock. Spike stayed glued to his office chair. He wasn't doing any paperwork, or much of anything at all. But he wasn't about to pry his ass off the chair to see if the ponce had the gall to show up for their sparring session. He could go bugger himself. Should have done before he laid a hand on Rose. Stupid git. Still, Spike found it hard to blame him for being attracted to her. Sweet and beautiful and sexy as hell. He was surprised that there wasn't a queue of men following her around, trying to make time with her. He heaved a sigh. Even with the workout, sleep had been a long time coming last night. Woke up half a dozen times, groping around the bed before realizing that he was all alone. Another sigh. Well, he'd see her tonight, he supposed. He was of two minds about that, too. Part of him wanted to just sweep her up in his arms and forget about the whole thing. The other part was still hurting from the sight of her and Angel swapping spit on the sofa in the pouf's apartment. Another sigh. Bloody hell.

&&&&&&

Rose was positively vibrating with nervous energy when she reached the apartment that night. Oz could practically see it coming off her in waves. And it was no big deal to guess what was causing it. The kids had told him that Spike was coming for a visit tonight. In fact, that was practically all they'd told him. There had been quite a few private conversations between them today. But, they had seemed in a better frame of mind than they had for over a week, so that was all to the good.

He kissed the kids good-bye. After a while, he'd gotten used to it, and they seemed to expect it. On a sudden impulse, he gave Rose a quick hug, then melted away. He suspected that emotions would be running high when Spike arrived, and he didn't want to feel like an eavesdropper.

&&&&&

Rose greeted the children, and for the first time in days, really connected with them. She felt a guilty pang that she had been so wrapped up in herself that she'd all but ignored them. The thought had barely crossed her mind when the twins were plastered to her giving her all kinds of kisses. They were just happy to have mummy back. All the way back.

She had just started towards the kitchen to start dinner when the twins took off for the door. "Daddy!" they shouted in chorus.

Rose opened the door and let Spike in, while he stood there, hand upraised, ready to knock. He fished around in a pocket and held out his hand to Rose.

"What's that?" she asked, not sure that she really wanted to know.

"My keys to the place," Spike explained. He was really trying to be mature about the whole situation, but it was costing him. "Didn't figure that you'd want me to be able to just waltz in whenever."

"Keep them," Rose said shortly, and turned and headed for the kitchen. Spike might have seen it as an adult gesture, but she saw it as proof that he didn't want to have anything more to do with her, and it bit deep into her.

Dinner was awkward, but hardly silent. The two adults had little to say in each other's presence, but the children kept up a flow of chatter that came so fast and furious that it was hard to follow.

After dinner was over, Spike took the kids into the living area, to visit and play with them some more. Rose, as was her habit, had stayed in the kitchen to clean up. But she was taking a hell of a long time about it.

"She's not going to come out, daddy," Ariel informed him, snuggling up against him. The three of them were on the floor, taking a break from rough-housing.

"She thinks you don't want to see her," Alaric added. "But you do, don't you?"

Spike sighed. He was pretty sure what the kids were up to, and he couldn't blame them, wanting to see their parents back together, but how could he tell them that he and Rose had to take this in their own time? That it couldn't just happen overnight, no matter how much they wanted it to?

"She doesn't love Uncle Angel," Ariel told him. "She loves you. We love you. Come back where you belong."

"It's not quite that easy," Spike protested weakly. She still loved him? Then why had she been sucking face with the ponce?

"We think it was a spell," Alaric said. "We're not sure what spell, but it had to be a spell. Mummy wouldn't do that if she was herself."

"We've missed you so much, daddy," Ariel cooed, giving him the eye treatment. She could see that explanations weren't quite cutting it, so she decided to play on his emotions.

Alaric followed his sister's cue. "We did miss you," he declared. "Lots and lots. And so does mummy. She thinks you don't love her anymore."

"Couldn't stop loving her if I tried," Spike said, more to himself than the kids. He wanted to come back home, more than anything. But he just wasn't sure..,

"We are," Ariel picked up on his train of thought. "You and mummy both want to be together. So why can't you?"

Spike laughed sadly. "Don't know if I can explain that one, precious," he murmured. He kissed both children. "God, I missed you two." When they both looked at him expectantly, knowing what they were waiting for, he added, "I missed your mum too."

"Spike?" Rose's voice came from the kitchen, even though she didn't appear. "Did you want to give the children their baths?"

"Yeah, why not?" Spike made sure his voice was loud enough to carry to her. Damn, how could they even get used to being around each other again when she stayed away from him like he had the bloody plague?

"Lots of bubbles, daddy," Ariel demanded.

"Lots of bubbles it is," Spike agreed. He called out to the kitchen again. "Do you want me to put them to bed, too, Rose?"

"If you'd like." The answer came floating back.

"Put us to bed right after our bath, daddy," Alaric ordered. "Then you can talk to mummy."

&&&&&&&

Rose had given the kitchen a thorough cleaning only a couple of weeks ago, but she was going over already spotless surfaces, cleaning what was already clean. She was trying to be nice about this. Reasonable. Giving Spike some time alone with the children. If she had a driver's license, she would have left completely, just to give them their time. Hiding out in the kitchen was the best she could do, though.

&&&&&&

Spike was tucking the kids into bed and getting a few more kisses.

"Are you going to talk to her, daddy?" Ariel asked. She cuddled up with the pink teddy bear.

Spike glanced at his son and noted that he was watching with eagle eyes. Evidently he thought that his sister had the best chance of talking their father into something.

"I'll talk to her." He finally caved in under the relentless onslaught. "But I'm not making any promises. Your mum might not want to talk to me."

"She will," Ariel assured him sleepily. "Good night, daddy."

"G'night daddy," came the voice from the other bed.

"Good night, kids," Spike said softly. "Wish me luck," he added under his breath.

&&&&&&

Rose was developing a crick in her neck from looking up. She'd decided that the kitchen ceiling was looking grungy. But even standing on a chair and using a mop for the job, it was quite a stretch for her. She focused on the task, trying to ignore what was going on elsewhere in the suite. She figured that once Spike had the children tucked into bed, he'd probably just let himself out. He might say good night to her, just to let her know he was leaving, but she really didn't expect anything more.

"What in the bleeding hell are you doing, woman?" Spike demanded, and stepped nimbly aside as Rose dropped the mop in surprise. Then caught Rose as she overbalanced and started to follow her mop. "When are you going to stop climbing up on chairs, luv?" he asked softly.

Rose found herself looking into his eyes and saw, if not exactly forgiveness there, then, at least, understanding. It would have to do. "When you're not around to catch me when I fall," she answered a little breathlessly. This ought to feel awkward, she thought, but instead, it just felt so good to be in Spike's arms again, even if it was for just a moment.

But Spike wasn't in the mood to settle for just a moment. He sat down in the chair she'd just fallen off of, and settled her in his lap. "Why have you been hiding out in the kitchen all night?" he inquired. He had to start somewhere, he supposed. But having her here like this, he just wanted to start nuzzling at her neck, nibbling her ears, and all sorts of other things that would lead to them making love. Couldn't rush things though. At least, he didn't think so.

"I didn't think you'd want to see me," she confessed. Then, in a small voice she added, "I couldn't really blame you if you didn't, either."

"Rubbish," Spike scoffed. "Always have liked looking at you, babe." He finally gave in to an impulse and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. "You smell so good, sweetheart," he mumbled.

"You're not right," Rose accused, but her voice lacked conviction. "How can you stand being near me after what I did?"

"Because I love you," Spike whispered in her ear. "And I have it on very good authority that you still love me." He had a brief surge of memory of how removed she had been the last few days before he'd left, and realized there was one way to find out for sure. "Kiss me, babe."

Rose looked at him, sure she couldn't have heard right. But Spike just sat there, with his arms wrapped loosely around her, waiting for something. Tentatively, even a little nervously, she lifted up her head to kiss him.

At first, Spike just sat there, let her do all the work, but when it burst on him in a glorious rush that it was Rose kissing him, freely, without reservations and without holding back, he returned her kisses, arms tightening around her. It felt good, it felt right.

Spike was back home.

&&&&&&&&

The children sighed contentedly and snuggled down into their pillows. 'See," Ariel thought at her brother. 'I knew it would work.'

'I knew too,' Alaric shot back, unwilling to let his sister have the last word.

'Let's go to sleep now,' Ariel suggested.

'And miss everything?' Alaric was taken aback at the suggestion.

'Just this once. There'll be other times, now.'


	19. Damage Control

98

Damage Control

Oz was a little surprised to find that no one answered the door as he approached. It was an unusual occurrence, as the twins usually informed Rose of his arrival, and she invariably opened the door before he could ring the bell. And somehow, the idea seemed like a profane intrusion under the circumstances. He hesitated a moment. Rose had given him a key, for when he took the kids out on their little field trips and for emergencies. He figured if the current situation didn't qualify as an emergency, it would do until one came along. He opened the door.

Two little pajama clad figures rushed up to him, but before he could say anything, they put fingers to their lips and motioned him to follow them. Puzzled, but not too worried now, since the twins, from what he could see, were in good spirits, he went along with them. To the kitchen.

As they got closer, a low murmur of voices issued from the kitchen. So quiet that they were nearly there before his sharp, werewolf's ears could pick it up. But then, he had other things on his mind. The voices became clearer as they got close, and he realized that it was Spike and Rose.

As the trio reached the doorway, they saw the couple just as they had been earlier in the night. Spike sitting on the kitchen chair with Rose on his lap.

"How could I blame anyone for falling in love with you?" Spike asked softly. "I did. Always thought I had a pretty good eye for the ladies."

"And you really won't take it out on Angel?" Rose inquired. "I know the two of you don't get along all that well, love, but..,"

"But you were victims of a spell, and I should have seen it," Spike finished. "I knew that something wasn't right with you, and so did the kids. When I saw you there though, it just went right out of my head."

"It wasn't your fault," Rose said softly. "If the tables had been turned, and I was the one who'd seen you with..,"

Spike interrupted her with a laugh. "I think you'd have a lot more to worry about than me being unfaithful if you saw me swapping spit with the ponce." He looked up. "We're not alone, babe."

Rose followed his gaze and saw the children, and Oz and it struck her just how long they'd been there. "We've been talking all night?" she asked.

"Looks like," Spike agreed. "Good morning, everyone."

Alaric and Ariel sped to their parents and started climbing up. Oz was happy to observe that the furniture looked pretty sturdy, because the whole family was piled on one, lone chair.

The doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Oz volunteered. He wasn't even sure that anyone had heard him.

When Oz opened the door, Wesley walked right in. "I'm going to ask Angel to call a meeting," he announced. "I need to ask Rose to have you and the children come along as well. I hope she can deal with being in the same room as Spike, and that they can both tolerate Angel's presence, because I think I've got a line on what's been going on. I'm hoping that we can repair the damage and get Spike and Rose back together."

"You're a little behind the times," Oz informed him. He nodded towards the kitchen. "They're already back together. I think they were up all night talking."

Wesley looked stunned. "With the type of spell that was cast it was amazing enough that it was broken without any magical intervention," he muttered. "But a reconciliation already?"

"Go look," Oz invited.

&&&&&&&

Drusilla was angry. She was pacing about the lair at a furious pace.

"They made up before I could get him back," she snarled, vamping out. "And I can't even find the witch. Yet. When I do, I'll make her cast my spells, then, I'll give her as a welcome back present to Spike." She paced some more. "You haven't really been of much help, have you, Henrietta?" She flung the doll against a wall and watched with satisfaction as it nearly disintegrated from the force. She picked up another doll. "I knew I should have listened to you all along, Miss Edith," she cooed. "But how are we going to get Spike and the children now?" She listened intently for a moment, then, an evil smile spread slowly across her face. "What a wonderful idea," she said approvingly. "Miss Edith, you're a marvel." She danced around the room with the doll. She stopped and listened again. "You think we should dispose of the dead wood first?" She looked towards Val and Den's empty spaces, vacated because they were at work. "Quite right, Miss Edith. They've been more trouble than they're worth from the very start." She lay down with the dolly, closed her eyes and went to sleep, hoping her dreams would tell her how to rid herself of her troublesome and less than useful allies.

&&&&&&&

Angel was feeling nervous, and truth to tell, more than a little bit sick. He knew they all had to get together to compare notes, but he wasn't sure who he dreaded facing the most. Rose, Spike, or the kids. Each in their own right had reason not to want to see him. He was fidgeting again, but Lorne pretended to ignore him, and Fred was sitting quietly. Gunn was fidgeting worse than he was. Harmony divided her time between staring at the door and glaring at her boss. It was plain that she felt he was somehow responsible for the situation. He couldn't blame her. Even though they knew a spell had been cast, he felt responsible himself. He was in no way prepared for the sight that opened up upon them with the opening of the door.

Wesley had a book tucked under one arm, and was carrying Alaric. Oz followed close at his heels with Ariel. They in turn, were followed by Spike and Rose, arm in arm and looking as if they had never been apart.

The room fell dead silent for long moments as the new arrivals took their seats, with Rose and Spike seated side by side as usual.

&&&&&&&

It had taken everyone a few minutes to get over the shock, then, it was business as usual, such as usual was at Wolfram and Hart.

"I've studied the love spell that Drusilla employed in detail," Wesley said. "And it's one of the most powerful that I've ever seen. If you had asked me before this happened, I would have said that it couldn't have been broken without a counter-spell."

Spike shook his head. "Dru might not have sussed out the fact that if she kills Rose she'll kill me too," he remarked. "But she knew that wasn't the way to go about it. Must've figured out that the best way to split us up was to make Rose fall for someone else."

"I don't understand why she just didn't cast the spell on you, Spike," Fred said. "I mean, it is you that she wants. Wouldn't it have been easier that way?"

"She probably thinks that Spike is still in love with her," Angel replied quietly. He hadn't spoken much. He was still feeling a mite uncomfortable.

"Well, we have the witch, and we have all her little spell-casting goodies," Lorne commented. "So, what's next on the agenda?"

"Gotta do something about Drusilla," Spike stated. "I hate to think of what else she could come up with if she's got her little black heart set on getting me back."

Alaric and Ariel had been sitting quietly, for the most part, speaking when spoken to and answering questions. But now, they got that far away look in their eyes that said they were conversing on a strictly mental level. Those assembled were used enough to it that they wouldn't have paid it any particular mind, until they noticed the panicky expressions the twins were getting on their faces.

Rose and Spike didn't notice, since the children were sitting on their laps, and therefore facing away from them, but everyone else noticed.

"Munchkins?" Lorne knelt in front of them. "What's wrong?"

"She's talking to us," Ariel replied in a barely audible whisper.

"She says that she wants to be our mummy," Alaric added. "She can't do that. We already have a mummy." He turned in Rose's arms to hug her.

"Drusilla is talking to you?" Wesley asked in shock. "Is she saying anything else?"

Ariel looked at him. "She wants us and daddy to be her family," she answered. "She says that mummy doesn't love us anymore."

Rose looked aghast, and Spike was starting to look positively murderous.

"Can you guys talk back to her?" Angel inquired. He was getting the beginnings of an idea.

The twins concentrated for a minute.

"We're not sure," Alaric finally admitted. "We think she can hear us, but she doesn't want to listen."

"Sounds like Dru," Spike agreed. His voice sounded level enough, but he still appeared to be one small step away from vamping out. "Listen, you two tell that mental case..,"

"Nothing," Angel broke in. "Can you shut her out? Keep from hearing her?"

The twins looked a little confused. They'd never had to try something like this before, and they weren't quite sure how to go about it.

"I have an idea," Oz said quietly. He sat in the middle of the floor and motioned to the children to join him. "Remember how we got your faces changed back?" he asked them.

He didn't have to say anymore. The twins joined hands with him and each other, and all three of them closed their eyes.

It became very still in the room again, while everyone watched the werewolf and the baby vampires silently meditate.

After a few minutes, they opened their eyes.

"She's gone now," Alaric said with satisfaction. "I don't like her talking in my head."

"She's a big, fat liar," Ariel declared. "Mummy does so love us."

&&&&&&&

"What naughty, naughty little children," Drusilla hissed in frustration. "They shouldn't ought to have done that to us, should they, Miss Edith? I do believe that I'm quite cross with them now. I think we're going to have to punish them."

&&&&&&

"Why did you have the children shut Drusilla off, Angel?" Wesley asked. "We might have been able to gather some valuable information if we had kept the channel open."

"Because if they turned her down flat, she'd have gotten mad," Angel replied. "If they had acted like they believed her, she'd have probably been suspicious. This way, hopefully, we'll keep her guessing. And the next time she tries, if she does, the kids can start talking like they're beginning to fall for it."

"You're going to use my kids to bait Dru?" Spike asked incredulously. "Are you out of your bleeding mind? I don't even want that psychotic bint thinking about them, let alone to them."

"But what if Dru thinks she's winning them over?" Angel suggested. "Slowly, so that it looks more natural. That's why I didn't want them to say anything else just yet. I wanted to work out the plan with them first."

"Angel, they're just babies," Rose protested. "The idea is supposed to be to protect them, not expose them to a sick mind like Drusilla's."

"And we will protect them," Angel promised. "But if Drusilla believes that the children want to come to her, that they'll bring Spike with them, it could be our chance to deal with her once and for all."

"I don't like it," Spike declared. He sighed and gave in, though. "But much as I hate to say that you're right, I can't see any other way we're going to catch her."

&&&&&&&

As everyone was starting to leave, Angel said quietly, "Spike, could you and the family stay for a few minutes? I think we need to talk."

Spike nodded, but his expression was totally unreadable. Angel didn't know whether that was a good sign or not.

Alaric whispered into his father's ear. "He feels bad about kissing mummy."

Ariel wriggled in her mother's lap until Rose put her down. She went over to Angel and stood in front of him expectantly until he picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "We still love you, Uncle Angel," she said, planting a wet kiss on his cheek.

"It wasn't your fault, Angel," Rose added. She looked down at her hands which were starting to live a nervous life of their own now that she didn't have a baby to hold.

"Wasn't yours either, pet," Spike put in. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"The crazy lady did it," Alaric said.

Angel was beyond stunned. He wasn't sure just what he'd expected, but it certainly wasn't anything like this. "I know I wasn't exactly in control," he said slowly. "But I'd still like to find a way to make it up to you."

"Give us the day off," Spike suggested. "We sat up all night talking." He glanced at Rose, but all he could really see was the top of her head which was in its accustomed place on his shoulder. "Don't think you'd be able to get much work out of Rose today anyway. I think she's almost asleep as it is."

"I'm still awake," Rose murmured. But from the sound of her voice, her words should have been qualified with the phrase, just barely.

"Oz could take the kids to my place," Angel offered. "Give the two of you some peace and quiet so you can catch up on your rest."

Alaric had climbed down out of his father's lap and was wandering around on his own. He pulled out one of the drawers of Angel's desk and removed something, then went back to his parents.

"See what Uncle Angel made." He displayed Angel's drawing of Rose and Spike together and ever so obviously in love.

Spike scrutinized the picture for long minutes. "Damn," he muttered, drawing a reproving look from Rose. "I guess I've got no choice now. I'm going to have to forgive you. You big ponce."


	20. One to Go

101

One to Go

"Harmony, hold my calls," Angel instructed. "If it's really important, you can call me at home. But if you call, it had better be important."

Harmony pouted. "It must be nice to be the boss and be able to take the day off whenever you want."

He picked up Alaric. Ariel was still in his arms. "You know what, Harmony?" he said. "It has its moments." He walked off carrying the twins with Oz following along in his wake.

&&&&&&

"Seems weird walking in here without having the kids coming running," Spike remarked as he and Rose entered their apartment.

"Mm-hmm," Rose agreed. Besides having stayed up all night, she hadn't been sleeping well the few nights previously.

Spike picked her up. "You're about out on your feet, luv," he commented. "Should have left you home in bed."

"We had to be there," Rose mumbled against his shoulder. She was seized by a jaw-cracking yawn. "Besides, that bed is too big to sleep in alone."

"I'm a bit knackered myself," Spike admitted. "I was having trouble sleeping alone too." He was still by far the more alert partner of the pair, so he took on the task of undressing her. Not that he had a problem with that.

"What are you doing?" Rose was almost limp as a rag-doll now, but there was still a modicum of awareness in play. "Are you going to make love to me?"

"Later," Spike answered a little ruefully. He kissed the tip of her nose. "I want you awake for it, sweetheart."

"That's nice," Rose murmured, and curled into a ball as Spike covered her up.

Spike quickly shed his own clothes and climbed in beside her. Once he got all snuggled up against her, he too dropped off to dreamland.

&&&&&&

"I'm not one hundred percent sure that this will do the trick," Angel confessed. "But it's all we've got to work with." He turned to the twins. "When you and Oz were meditating, you were trying to shut Drusilla out," he began. "Do you think you can do the same thing backwards? Start listening for her?"

"What if she's not talking to us?" Ariel asked.

"Maybe we could try talking to her?" Alaric suggested.

"We'll just try listening first," Angel replied. "Are you ready to start?"

The twins shook their heads.

"We're hungry," Ariel explained. "Uncle Wes was in a big hurry."

"He didn't give us time for breakfast," Alaric added. "We're starving. Do you have any human food, Uncle Angel?"

"No," Angel replied. "But all I have to do is put in a call to the executive dining room and you can have whatever you want."

"Waffles?" Alaric asked hopefully. "With whipped cream on them?"

"And strawberries," Ariel added.

Oz was feeling a little hollow himself. "Could you make that for three?" he inquired.

&&&&&&

Rose woke a few hours later, feeling like she hadn't done in days. Safe, happy, content. With Spike's arm draped across her. She wriggled back against him, just to make sure he was still there. She still couldn't believe he was there.

"Thought you were going to sleep the whole day away, pet," Spike murmured in her ear. "I been laying here awake for over an hour now listening to your tummy gurgle. Haven't you been eating?"

"I ate dinner with the children last night," Rose said evasively. "Your son told me that if I didn't eat my dinner, I'd have to go straight to bed." She rolled over so that she could look at him.

Spike laughed, and then, just because she was there, he had to kiss her. "I missed you so much, babe," he whispered. "No more getting caught by love spells, understand?"

Rose giggled, but before she could reply, her stomach spoke up again.

Spike whipped the covers off of both of them and pulled her out of bed. "Let's get you something to eat, luv," he said. "I do have plans for the rest of the day, and you're going to need to keep your strength up."

Rose smiled up at him, but dragged her feet. "Shouldn't we put something on first?" she asked.

Spike shrugged. "Why?" he queried. "Nobody here but us chickens. Besides, it'll save time later."

&&&&&&&

"They'll be back soon, Miss Edith," Drusilla murmured. "Shall we play with them a bit first? Or just make them go away?"

Voices echoing just outside the lair confirmed Drusilla's observation, and she hurriedly stationed herself beside the door.

It was Den's ill luck that being in the biggest hurry to get off his feet, he had taken the lead. The moment he walked in the door, Drusilla's stake plunged into his heart, and he disappeared in a cloud of dust.

Val was feeling a little tired, and had hung back a bit, so he was several paces behind his friend when Drusilla commenced her attack. Then, she charged him, the hand holding the stake stretched out in front of her.

Without thinking, Val grabbed her hand and went over backwards, adding his momentum to hers, so that Dru went sailing over him.

"What do you know?" he muttered in awe. "It actually freakin' worked." Then, as Drusilla regained her feet and came after him again, he added, "Shit!"

&&&&&&

"I can hear her, Uncle Angel," Alaric said excitedly. "I can hear the crazy lady." Both twins had dropped using Drusilla's name completely.

"I can too, Uncle Angel," Ariel put in. "But she's not thinking at us right now."

"What do you hear?" This was completely unexpected, and Angel thought they might pick up more information than they'd hoped for.

The children concentrated furiously.

"She's trying to kill someone," Alaric said. "His name is Val."

"She already did kill someone named Den," Ariel added. "Do you know who they are?"

"I'm not sure," Angel replied. "But the names sound vaguely familiar. I'll see if I can find out." He picked up the phone and rang his assistant. "Harmony, I need to know the names of the two vampires Spike hired for ops. Can you find them out for me? Oh you do. Well, what are they? Why do I need to know? Why do you need to know why I need to know? They are?" He covered the receiver with his hand for a minute and bit his lip to keep from swearing in front of his godchildren.

Oz and the twins were unashamedly eavesdropping on the conversation, but the twins had the edge on Oz. Even with a werewolf's hearing, he couldn't make out what Harmony, on the other end of the line was saying. Alaric and Ariel picked her half of the discussion out of Angel's head.

"The crazy lady killed one of Auntie Harm's boyfriends," Alaric hissed.

"She's a very bad, crazy lady," Ariel said. "She shouldn't do that to Auntie Harm."

"Maybe when we catch her Uncle Angel will beat her up," Alaric suggested.

Ariel looked thoughtful. "Maybe we should make him promise before we help," she murmured. Then, she brightened up. "If Uncle Angel won't do it, daddy will."

&&&&&&

Ethan was both startled and apprehensive when a slightly built female in a lab coat came to his cell accompanied by several burly men carrying a large box.

"Should we strip him down first, Ms. Burkle?" one of the men asked.

"Just his shirt," Fred replied. "The hook-ups don't go lower than waist level."

His cell door was opened and he was seized rather roughly and his shirt was torn off.

"What are you doing?" he asked desperately. He didn't like the looks of that oversized coffin. Although in reality, it more resembled a photo booth. Coffin was just more evocative of the feelings it aroused in him.

Fred smiled sweetly at him. "Think of it as a packing crate," she suggested. "We're going to airmail you to England in it."

Despite his struggles, Ethan was manhandled into the box and strapped in. Fred started wiring him up. Attaching electrodes and heaven only knew what else.

The last thing he heard was one of the security men asking, "Who do we send it to, Ms. Burkle?"

"Rupert Giles."

&&&&&&

Spike had managed to restrain his ardor while Rose got something to eat. He even held back while she cleared her dishes off the table and stacked them in the sink. Then, he felt that his patience had been tried enough. He picked her up and laid her on the kitchen table.

"Spike," Rose protested feebly, but with a giggle added. "What on earth are you doing?"

"If you don't know by now," Spike mumbled, nuzzling at her neck. "Then I've been doing something seriously wrong, pet."

"If you've been doing something wrong you couldn't prove it by me," Rose replied. She tangled her hands in his hair and tugged on it, coaxing him up so she could kiss him.

Spike allowed himself to be persuaded. "You could always try that little move if I'm ever stupid enough to walk out on you again, luv," he murmured. "The cavewoman approach. I kind of like it."

"Spike." Rose was suddenly serious.

"What, sweetheart?" Spike felt a nervous tingle.

"I love you." Having said what she felt needed to be said, Rose then proceeded to start nibbling on his neck.

"I love you too, babe," he answered. "You want to be on top, cavewoman?"

&&&&&&

Val ducked and dodged and even got an occasional shot in, but Drusilla was relentless. Every time he knocked her down, she got right back up. And came after him again with the stake.

"Naughty boy," Dru scolded. "Don't you know that a gentleman never hits a lady?" She made another pass at him with the stake.

"I never said I was a gentleman," Val replied. "You dizzy broad. What did we do to you?"

"You and your little friend were mistakes," Drusilla admitted. "Miss Edith told me so. She said I needed to get rid of you." She swung the stake again.

Val grabbed her arm as it came near him and gave it a vicious twist, producing a sickening, crunching sound.

Drusilla let out a squeal of pain, and sank to the floor, cradling her arm against her body. "I do believe that you've broken it," she said accusingly. "You shouldn't have done that. When I get rid of that dreadful soul that Spike has, he'll make you pay for hurting me."

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Val asserted. Then, he made tracks out of the lair.

&&&&&&

"Her arm hurts, Uncle Angel," Ariel said. "It made a funny noise when Auntie Harm's boyfriend grabbed it."

"Is she still fighting with him?" Angel asked. He wasn't sure whether Dru being hurt would make her an easier target, or just piss her off.

"She's not fighting any more," Alaric answered. "Auntie Harm's boyfriend ran away." He thought a moment. "What a wuss."

"Can you tell what she's thinking?" Angel inquired, fighting back a smile at his godson's observation.

"Mummy says we're not 'sposed to talk that way," Ariel said primly. She looked up at Angel and batted her eyelashes at him. "Do we get a present for helping?"

Alaric looked at his sister, and one of their silent conversations took place, then, he grinned, a smirky, cocky grin that made him resemble his father to an uncanny degree.

"You aren't supposed to have any candy," Oz warned. He shot a look at Angel.

Angel looked a little sheepish, then he got a crafty expression on his face as well. "I have some ice cream in the freezer," he announced. "Do you two like chocolate peanut butter swirl?"

"That's our favorite," Ariel chimed. She gazed up at him adoringly. "Thank you, Uncle Angel."

"Yeah, thanks," Alaric added. He was already headed towards the kitchen. "Can we have two scoops?"

Angel laughed. "You can have as much as you want," he promised. "Just as long as..,"

"We won't tell mummy," Ariel declared.

&&&&&&&

Val ducked into the door of the ops room. It was deserted now. Unless there was something on the schedule, the late shift was on a call-in basis. And he didn't think he could be safe here all night. It was a public building, therefore, Drusilla could walk in as easily as he did. He cudgeled his few remaining brain cells for an idea.

He started making his way through the eerily quiet building, seeing little but the cleaning staff. He made it to the front entrance just as Harmony was about to leave for the night.

"Harmony!" he said urgently. "You gotta help me. Please. That crazy bitch is going to kill me."

"What crazy bitch?" Harmony asked. Then, the phrase crazy bitch really sank in. "Drusilla?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Val said. "Will you help me Harmony?"

"Maybe." Harmony leaned against the door and crossed her arms. "First, you'd better tell me what you were doing with Drusilla. And you'd better make it good."


	21. Stalking the Prey

109

Tracking the Prey

"You do realize that you are going to get busted, don't you?" Oz asked. "There's no way Rose isn't going to notice that they aren't eating their dinner. It won't take much for her to put two and two together."

"I didn't give them any candy," Angel rejoined defensively. "I didn't hear anyone say they weren't allowed to have ice cream."

"And you think you're going to win with Rose in a battle of semantics?" Oz' eyebrows were trying to lift. If he hung around here much longer, he'd be having facial expressions on a regular basis.

Angel shook his head. "Not really," he admitted. "That's when the kids and I all sit there and give her the innocent eyes thing. She usually gives up after that."

"Doesn't it make you feel the least little bit childish, knowing that you're using the same tactics as a pair of toddlers?" Oz was eyeing him speculatively.

"Hey," Angel protested. "Who do you think taught them that?"

&&&&&&&

"You jerk!" Val's head snapped to one side as Harmony's fist connected with his jaw. "How could you do that to me? I thought you liked me."

"I did," Val stammered. "I do. I do like you, Harmony. A lot. I didn't have to keep seeing you, that wasn't part of Drusilla's plan. I did it because I wanted to."

Harmony's fist stopped on its path to connect with his face again. "You did?" Her anger started melting away. It was starting to dawn on her that something or someone, was missing. "Where's Den?"

"Drusilla staked him," Val replied. "I just barely managed to get away. Do you know somewhere safe I could stay?"

Harmony paused in thought for a moment. She could just take him home with her, but she wasn't entirely sure that Drusilla couldn't track him there. "I think we need to talk to the boss about this," she said. "There are safe places here. And he wants to get his hands on Drusilla anyway."

"You're going to help me?" Val's face lit up. He hadn't really had that much hope on that score. Especially once Harmony had found out that their initial meeting had been so contrived.

Harmony gave him a long, silent once over. He'd used her. He'd lied to her. He had the social skills of a.., a.., well, she couldn't think of anything, but they weren't good. But, he was kind of cute. And he did like her. And she knew what it was like, having no soul and still trying to be good. Still, he had some serious apologizing to do. She started to smile. She'd help him out, but he was going to be spending a lot of time, and money, making it up to her.

&&&&&

Rose opened her eyes. She'd gotten a little more sleep, but she still felt tired. But it was a good tired, and she didn't regret a moment of the activities that had worn her out. She looked at Spike, and found that he had been laying there, just watching her. As she leaned towards him to kiss him, her gaze drifted to the clock. Suddenly, even the kiss was forgotten, and she sprang out of bed (yes, they had finally made it to the bed).

"What's up, babe?" Spike stretched and yawned. He was feeling rather lazy at the moment, and didn't understand where Rose was getting the energy.

"Look at the time," Rose invited. "Oz will be back with the children soon. We have to get decent."

Spike groaned. He couldn't believe how quickly the time had passed. He dragged himself upright. "Think we have time for a shower first?"

"We might," Rose conceded. "If you can manage to keep your hands to yourself."

Spike snagged her with an arm around her waist as she was passing by him. "I've had to develop more self-control since I've been with you," he complained softly. Then, he kissed her. "Worth every bit of it, too."

&&&&&&

Drusilla had finally persuaded one of the lair's other inhabitants to put a rough splint on her arm. After seeing her stake Den, they were giving her a wider than usual berth. Some of them were seriously considering finding a new place to sleep. At least as long as Drusilla was around. They'd known she was crazy from the first, of course. Just not how crazy.

"What are we to do now, Miss Edith?" Drusilla was very put out. Val had gotten clean away, and her arm was throbbing with pain. "Shall we try talking to the pretty babies again?" She paused a moment, as if listening to Miss Edith's answer. "Maybe if they're good this time, we won't punish them. Especially if they bring us Spike."

&&&&&&

Angel, Oz and the children were just about to get on the elevator to the senior partner's suite when Harmony and Val approached them.

"That's Auntie Harm's boyfriend," Ariel whispered loudly.

Suddenly, both twins got that unfocused gaze that suggested they were communicating telepathically. Whether between themselves or with someone else was anyone's guess.

"The crazy lady is talking to us again." Alaric broke away long enough to give them the information. "She says she just wants us and daddy to come with her and be a family together."

Angel thought hard and fast. "Do you think you can make her believe that you're upset enough with your mother that you'll do it?" he asked. "Can you make her believe it?"

Alaric had rejoined the conversation, and it was Ariel's turn to reply. "Why would we be upset with mummy?" she wanted to know.

"I don't know," Angel confessed. The one semi-legitimate complaint they might have had of her recently was one he really didn't want to employ. "Make up something. Like being upset about being punished for something. Dru might believe that."

"You want us to tell lies?" Ariel's eyes were wide. "I don't think mummy will like it."

While this had been going on, Val had been staring at the twins, jaws agape. He knew what Drusilla had told them about the kids, but gee, after all, Drusilla was loony toons all the way. And vampires just didn't have kids. Everybody knew that. It was slowly starting to sink in to him that what everybody knew wasn't necessarily true. It was also beginning to dawn on him that he could help out.

"I know where she's been staying," he said abruptly, feeling a little uncomfortable breaking in on things. "If she hasn't moved, I could tell you where she is right now."

Five pairs of eyes swiveled to look at him, and Val found that it made him very uncomfortable. Especially the way those two kids were looking at him. Like they were scoping him out from head to toe and he didn't measure up. And the way that little boy looked like Spike. Drusilla hadn't lied about that. He even had the same calculating look in his clear, blue eyes that Spike did when he'd screwed up in fighting practice.

"Well," Angel prompted. He'd been trying to come up with an explanation that Rose would accept as to why he had encouraged her children to lie. He hadn't come up with anything yet. But maybe now, it wouldn't come to that.

Val started hurriedly giving him directions.

&&&&&&

"They should be here by now," Rose muttered. She'd started pacing the floors, but Spike grabbed her and pulled her close, halting her steps.

"I'm sure they just lost track of the time," he soothed. Still, it didn't seem right. One word that could definitely be applied to Oz was reliable. "Want to pop over to the ponce's place and see what the hold up is?"

"Could we?" Rose asked gratefully. It was the first time ever that the children weren't where she expected them to be when she expected them to be there, and it was giving her an incredible attack of nerves. Not to mention sending her imagination running riot as to just where they could be, what they could be doing or who they were with. What she didn't know, was that it was just a foretaste of what would come when her children began to get older and assert their independence.

"C'mon then, luv." Spike kept his arm around her waist and led her along. "Let's go track the little demons down. Probably just having a good time and didn't want to stop. Even money says that my nancy-boy grandsire played hooky today to play with them."

"I'm sure you're right," Rose agreed without any real degree of conviction. "I'll just feel better when I know where they are."

It was a long way down, but still the elevator seemed to take longer than usual. Rose was fidgeting, and so was Spike, though he tried to look like he wasn't.

&&&&&&

Getting the twins home had dropped in priority since hearing Val's news. They were also so preoccupied that it never occurred to them that Rose and Spike might be wondering where their children were. The party was just starting to make its way to Angel's office when the elevator doors opened.

"Our flat's this way," Spike announced loudly. "Lost our sense of direction, have we? You big, dumb git."

The twins wriggled out of Angel and Harmony's arms (Harmony had insisted on getting one of them). They almost flew at their parents, talking ninety to the minute.

"This is Auntie Harm's boyfriend." "The crazy lady killed the other one." "He knows where to find the crazy lady." He's a big wuss, daddy. He ran away from the crazy lady."

This last was spoken by Alaric in clear, ringing tones, and it was one of those utterances that just naturally seem to fall in the gap in everyone else's conversations, thereby seeming much louder than it actually was.

Spike laughed and picked Alaric up. "That's my boy," he said proudly. "Call them like you see them, my lad."

"Are you going to go beat up the crazy lady, daddy?" Alaric asked. "She staked one of Auntie Harm's boyfriends."

Spike glanced over at Angel. "You got a plan here, oh broody one?" he asked. "Or do we just waltz in and stake everything that moves?"

Angel walked over to him. "Spike," he began. "Look me right in the eye and tell me that you could stake Dru."

"After what she pulled on me?" Spike said incredulously. "Too damn right I could. Sorry, luv." The last, of course, was to Rose. "We calling in reinforcements?"

"Do you need help?" Angel shot back. "You know, I've heard that settled, family life can slow you down."

Spike sniffed. "I was thinking of you, pouf," he replied. "If anyone's slowing down, it's you, sitting up in your fancy office getting executive spread."

"You're going after her?" Rose paled a bit, even though she should have known that it was going to happen sooner or later.

"Be back before you know it, pet," Spike assured her. "You coming along, Oz?"

Oz looked at Angel and got a nod from him before answering. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Harmony, why don't you stay with Rose?" Angel suggested.

Rose barely suppressed a groan. Moral support from Harmony was like no support at all. Sometimes, it even went into negative numbers.

&&&&&&

Wesley and Gunn were leaving for the night when they saw Angel, Spike, Oz and Val, headed for the parking garage.

"Where exactly are you off to?" Wes asked suspiciously.

"Got a date with a crazy lady," Spike answered. He checked the pockets of his duster to make sure that he was packing a stake or two.

"And when were you going to get around to telling us?" Gunn inquired accusingly. "You were going to hog all the fun, weren't you?" He was still smarting from having missed out on the action when they'd all gone to rescue Angel and Lorne.

Angel looked a little shame-faced. "Sorry guys, but we have to get a move on. We just didn't think about it."

"Don't hardly need anyone else," Spike remarked. "I think the three of us are enough to take down Dru. Three and a half if you count him." He cocked his thumb in Val's direction.

"You only count me as a half and you're taking three humans?" Val sounded deeply miffed.

"And you've been getting your candy-ass pounded on by humans for the last two weeks," Spike pointed out. "'Sides, Oz is a werewolf."

Val glanced at the unassuming little man and looked extremely impressed.

"If you're all through," Angel broke in impatiently. "It might be a good idea if we get moving before Drusilla decides to."

&&&&&&&

"It hurts, Miss Edith," Drusilla moaned. "Maybe it would feel better if we went out and got a bite to eat." She pushed herself to her feet, a bit awkwardly because of her broken arm, and started towards the entrance of the lair.

And found some very unfriendly faces waiting there for her.


	22. All's Well

112

All's Well

"Don't worry so much, Rose," Harmony advised. "Doesn't he always come back?"

Lorne approached rapidly. "I've been meaning to get a reading on you and the bleached one, sugarplum, but I've been up to my horns in work since I got back."

"A reading?" Rose asked weakly. "I think you're a little late, Lorne."

"Yeah," Harmony chimed in. "All the other guys just took off to get Drusilla."

"All of them?" They all turned to see Fred behind them, and she didn't look like she was a happy little camper.

"They were in a hurry, Fred," Rose hastily filled in. "They had to get there before Drusilla goes somewhere else."

"Aunt Fred is mad at Uncle Wes," Alaric chanted. He'd gone back to Harmony when his father had left.

"Not nice," Ariel scolded. She gave Fred a winsome look. "Pick me up, Aunt Fred?"

As Fred laughed and complied, Rose remarked, "It's a wonder they ever learned to walk. Their feet hardly ever touch the ground."

"Are we all just going to hang around here and wait for the troops to return?" Lorne asked. "Or are we going to get the munchkins home and get their dinner?"

Rose smiled at the way he'd included them all. "I ought to see if the senior partners will let me install a widow's walk on the roof," she said. "Since all the worry and pace sessions seem to take place at our apartment." She spared a glance for her children. "What would you like for dinner tonight?"

Alaric and Ariel exchanged looks. As Oz had predicted, they weren't really hungry after binging on ice cream. But if they didn't eat dinner, Uncle Angel would get in trouble.

Harmony smiled at the hesitation. She could smell the ice cream on them Fred, Lorne and Rose saw the smile and made a guess at what it meant.

"What have they been eating now?" Rose inquired resignedly.

Harmony tried to look innocent.

&&&&&&

"'Lo, Dru, hurt yourself?" Spike moved around, forcing her to move to keep her eyes on him, giving his allies the opportunity to slowly surround her.

"That naughty boy hurt me," Drusilla pouted, pointing at a very uncomfortable looking Val. "You will punish him for me, won't you, Spike?"

"Anything you say, Dru," Spike lied smoothly. He still maintained his distance. "How's Miss Edith?"

Drusilla smiled at him. "She's been missing you, my darling boy," she murmured. "We all have. But however did you get that nasty soul, poor boy?"

"I asked for it." Time to throw her a curve ball, Spike thought.

Drusilla laughed, but it was not a happy sound. More borderline hysterical. "My Spike would never ask for a soul," she declared. But something in her eyes said that she had her doubts.

"Haven't been yours for quite some time, Dru," Spike answered evenly. They had her completely surrounded now. He wondered who was going to make the first move. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to. She didn't seem anything quite so much now as pathetic.

Drusilla let out an agonized wail. "No one loves me but Miss Edith." Then, she suddenly crumpled to the ground.

Spike didn't immediately go to investigate, it could be a ruse to get him to move in closer. At least, that was what he thought until he saw the trank gun in Wesley's hand.

The five men looked at one another sheepishly.

"I guess that none of us could actually bring himself to stake her," Angel muttered. He'd certainly had doubts himself. If Drusilla had actually been threatening at the moment, he might have. But not like this. It was too cold-blooded.

"What are you going to do with her?" Val asked tentatively. He still felt ill at ease among the inner circle. But he had spent some time with Drusilla, and even though she had tried to stake him, and had dusted his best friend, it just didn't seem right that such a helpless creature be destroyed. He wondered a moment too, that he should care about what was right.

"Psych ward?" Gunn asked.

"We can't have Drusilla committed to an institution," Angel protested. "She'd be out as soon as the tranquilizers wore off. They don't have the facilities to deal with a vampire."

"I mean the psych ward at Wolfram and Hart," Gunn supplemented his original answer. "And we do have what it takes to handle vampires."

"Then I suggest that we get her there before the effects of the drugs do wear off," Wesley put in. "It's very hard to judge dosages with a vampire's metabolism."

Spike picked up the recumbent form. When Drusilla had passed into unconsciousness, her grasp on her doll had loosened, and it seemed rather piteous just lying there on its own.

"Here you," he said to Val. "Pick that up and bring it along with. Make yourself useful for a change."

"You want me to bring her doll?" Val stood there, jaws agape.

"You heard the man," Gunn told him. "Bring the lady's dolly along."

&&&&&&

The twins, having eaten, predictably, practically nothing, were now showing off their skills on the keyboard to Lorne, who was, or at least, pretended to be totally engrossed in their efforts.

"They didn't used to exclude me from the fighting," Fred grumbled. "I used to be right in there whacking away at some of the nastiest, gooiest monsters you can imagine."

"Did you really enjoy it all that much, Fred?" Rose asked. "Or is it just raising your feminist hackles?"

"It made me feel like part of the team." Fred wasn't entirely ready to be mollified. "Okay, so it was pretty gross some of the time. And dangerous a lot of the time. But they didn't treat me like a china doll."

"I can't imagine actually wanting to be wading in gore," Rose said with a shudder. "I'm more than happy to leave that up to someone else."

"And you'd rather walk the widow's walk?" Fred asked pointedly.

"Two points," Rose put in. "One being that I'll never be a widow because if Spike dies, I do too."

"What's the second point?" Harmony felt she'd been quiet for long enough. And, she really wanted to know.

"Don't you have to be married first before you can become a widow?" Rose inquired. "Spike and I never really felt a need to go through a formal ceremony."

Harmony sniffed. "You two are more married than some people I've known who did have a wedding certificate."

Lorne looked up from the children's activities for a moment. "You listen to her, Rosebud," he advised. "Marriages are made in the heart, not in front of some judge or minister."

&&&&&&

He pushed his glasses back at the sound of the knock on his office door. He didn't like being interrupted when he was in the middle of something. But, he allowed that it could be something important. "Come in," he called out.

It was a semi-official looking person with the ever present clipboard, and he wondered what the visit was about.

"I have a delivery for you, Mr. Giles," said the man with the clipboard. "Would you please sign here saying that you accept delivery?"

"Precisely what are you delivering, and from whence does it originate?" Giles was being cautious and not about to sign anything until he knew what he was signing for.

"The.., er, package is out in the hallway," the delivery man replied. "That was all the farther we got it. It is kind of big."

Giles curiosity was piqued now. "And who sent it?" he prompted.

"It's from a Mr. Angel, CEO of Wolfram and Hart's L.A. offices," came the reply.

"I want to see what it is before I sign for it," Giles said firmly. He'd been waiting, rather impatiently, he had to admit, to hear from Angel on the matter of Ethan Rayne. Now, instead of Ethan, Angel was sending him god knew what. No doubt an attempt to mollify him.

But the outside of the package did little or nothing to enlighten him. Just a large, oblong box. It did have some rather interesting looking, if inexplicable controls on the outside. Giles walked around it, viewing it from every angle, and still couldn't make head nor tails of it.

"Excuse me, Mr. Giles." The dreary man with the clipboard again. "Mr. Angel sent a note along with it. It may explain what is in the package."

"Well why didn't you say so in the first place?" Giles snapped irritably. The note read 'I don't know when your birthday is, and it's too early for Christmas, but I know that it's something (or someone) that you've been wanting. A.'

Giles read the note through about three times before it started to sink in. "I'll sign for it."

&&&&&&&

"Babe, if you hide any more stuff in here, I'm not going to have any room left," Spike protested as a package-laden Rose came into his office. "How much stuff did you buy anyway?"

"These aren't mine," Rose replied. "Everybody else thought it was a good idea too. Besides, you hardly ever do anything but sleep in here, darling." She stopped to kiss him. "It's only for a few more days."

"Don't see the point in hiding their presents," Spike grumbled half-heartedly. "Or even wrapping them. They're already going to know what's inside."

"But they still enjoy the fun of it," Rose said. "And you did say you were going to have your men remove all the weapons from the practice room, didn't you? Fred and Harmony are going to be coming down to decorate it for the party."

"Yes, luv," Spike replied with a long-suffering sigh. She'd only asked a dozen times. "It still seems like an awful lot of fuss. They're only going to be two years old."

"But they're only going to be two once," Rose pointed out.

"And three, and four, and five, and so on," Spike added. He pulled her close for a cuddle. "Told you that you were going to be a wonderful mum, didn't I, pet?"

"You think I'm overdoing it, don't you?" Rose accused with the beginnings of a pout.

Spike rapidly thought over some of the birthday parties he'd heard of that the rich and famous threw for their own kids when said kids were too little to appreciate it. "I guess not," he conceded.

"I just want to make it a special day for them," Rose explained.

"You make every day special for them," Spike vowed. "For me too."

&&&&&&&

The chief psychiatrist was checking on the new inmate in cell 17. She intrigued him. He'd never seen an insane vampire before. And her ramblings were unique, to say the least. There was a recorder in all the rooms, but even he wasn't allowed to hear any of these tapes. They went straight to the CEO's office. He wondered why, but was too fond of his well-paying job to ask. He'd also been informed that she was a psychic. A very interesting combination, and an extremely intriguing case. He considered the possibility that her insanity might be curable, but he had been forbidden to make the attempt. She was merely to be restrained and cared for. He was about to walk away when he heard her begin to speak.

"We're having a party today, Miss Edith," Drusilla crooned to her doll. "For the pretty little babies. Do you think they'll invite us?" She started swaying back and forth and humming 'Happy Birthday'.

&&&&&&

If Alaric and Ariel were spoiled on a regular basis, on birthdays, it was squared, maybe even cubed. It was only the second one, after all. The training room was festooned with streamers and balloons. The twins were bouncing from person to person, chattering like magpies and impatiently waiting the moment they could open their presents.

"Hi, kids, happy birthday." Harmony knelt down to hug them.

"Hi, Auntie Harm," the twins chorused, swarming over her. Harm always brought them fun things.

There was another person hovering nearby, distinctly uncomfortable. Harmony gave the children a prompting look.

"Hi, Uncle Val," the children said unenthusiastically. They still didn't much care for him, and put up with him only for Harmony's sake. Alaric still took every opportunity to call him a wuss. It had taken a lot of patience and prompting to get them to call him uncle.

"Happy birthday," Val said. He knew better than to try to hug them. The one time he had, due to Harmony's prodding, the kids had vamped out. Not just for Harmony, but also because Spike was his boss, he tried to stay on their good side. It was the only reason he'd gone out and spent a respectable sum of money on their gifts. He held out two small packages.

This present was a surprise, or at least, had been until now, because the twins seldom bothered to read Val's mind. They did now, just to find out what was under the wrappings.

"Game boys?" Alaric and Ariel exchanged glances. Maybe he was going to shape up after all. "Thanks, Uncle Val."

&&&&&&&

Spike and Rose stepped back a bit, to watch the merry chaos from a little distance. Wrapping paper was strewn about on the floor. Angel had provided the cake, courtesy of the executive dining room, and it was enormous. The twins were positively bouncing off the walls, and everyone was having a good time watching their antics.

"They seem to be enjoying themselves," Spike observed. He wrapped his arms around Rose's waist.

"I hope so," Rose replied, snuggling back against them. "By the way, darling, in case I forgot to mention it, thank you."

"What for?" Spike wasn't aware he'd done anything that merited thanks of late.

"For coming back home to me," Rose murmured. "It was the longest few days of my life. I never want to be without you again."

"You won't be, babe," he assured her. "But you don't have to thank me for that. My motives were purely selfish. I couldn't stay away from you." He started backing up, pulling her with him.

"What are you doing?" Rose's eyes were riveted on the adults playing 'keep away' with balloons. The twins were running maniacally, trying to catch them.

"Just a few more steps," Spike coached her without telling her what he was up to. He eased them back into his office and locked the door, then turned her around so he could kiss her.

"Now?" asked Rose, a little breathlessly. "During the children's birthday party?"

"Probably the best time," Spike mumbled into her hair. "They're completely distracted."

&&&&&&

The game had halted for a few minutes, since some of the participants were a little winded.

"Where are Spike and Rose?" asked Fred. "I could have sworn they were standing over there just a minute ago."

Everyone's eyes swiveled in the direction of Spike's office. The humans were at a disadvantage, but three vampires, and a werewolf had the advantage of very acute hearing. And the twins just listened in telepathically. They started grinning. Angel covered his eyes with a hand. Oz shrugged and.., was Oz. Harmony giggled and nudged Val, who just stood there staring at the door.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Gunn said. "The middle of the kid's party and they decide to have a nooner?"

&&&&&&&&

Four years later

Stenslow wadded the papers in his hands into an unsightly ball. "Wolfram and Hart used to be one of our more valuable allies," he snarled. "But ever since that damned vampire took over, they have been a stumbling block to our interests. We need to find a way to dispose of the vampire."

"With all due respect, sir," his aide suggested timidly. "The problem may not be with the vampire, per se, but with his soul. Maybe we don't have to get rid of the vampire, sir, just his soul."


End file.
